Embry Imprinted
by g1ngersnap
Summary: This is a spin-off from my story ‘Life Goes On.’ Embry finally imprints, but what happens when a werewolf imprints on a vampire? Will Embry turn back on his tribe to be with her, or will he be strong enough to stay away from her? Please R
1. Werewolf

A/N: This is a spin-off from my story 'Life Goes On.' Although this is a spin-off, it can stand on its own. For those who read 'Life Goes On,' there might be repeated scene/s in the next chapters.

I am still working on my other story so I can't guarantee when the next update will be. I am shooting for weekly update, but no guarantees.

I tried to get into Embry's head so I wrote this as if he was telling the story in person, so it'll be kind of conversation. It was an easier approach.

This story starts from the very beginning when Embry turned to a werewolf.

**Disclaimer:**

**Characters based on Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga. **

Embry POV

Quil, Jacob and I have been good friends for a long time. We hang out together and had fun. And we all hated Sam and his friends, the so-called "La Push Gang." My mom was happy to know that I was not part of that gang.

Unfortunately, that changed. I changed. Beyond my disbelief, I was transformed. Well, more like I phased. And what sucked was that I can't tell my mom, Quil nor Jacob. I became a werewolf.

When I phased, I joined Sam and his friends, Jared and Paul. I missed my own friends but Sam said that I couldn't tell them what I have become. It's our secret. He said in time. What time? I didn't understand it until Jacob phased, and not long after, Quil did as well.

I was glad that the secret was out amongst us friends. We got to hang out again. However, my mom was not too thrilled about it. I was grounded from time to time as I usually came home late with ripped clothes.

--

Fur, which was itchy sometimes, and ripped clothes aside, I liked being a werewolf. The speed was the greatest of all. When we ran, it was exhilarating. I felt free.

Another good thing was the warmth. No need for jackets, we could go around shirtless and the cold air won't bother us at all.

Did I mention that we heal fast? That was really great. At least my mom couldn't scold me for being home late with ripped clothes and bruises. She had enough to deal with.

But I think the best perk of being a werewolf was imprinting. With just one look then BAM! you have your soul mate. You could skip the whole courting getting to know you awkward part. The only downside it that you don't know who it will be. Sam imprinted on Emily, Jared on Kim and Quil on Claire, Emily's two-year-old niece. Paul, Jacob and I hadn't found ours yet.

--

It was great to be around my friends. We even had some 'friendly' fights.

However, really late nights started when Sam picked up a scent of a male vampire. He was certain it was not the Cullens. The Cullens left months ago, and I remembered it well. The people in our tribe celebrated, but I didn't know why back then. I didn't know that the Cullens were vampires until I phased.

After searching for days for the invader, we found him cornering Bella, Jacob's damsel in distress. I didn't know what she was thinking but she was just standing there, facing this monster, mortified, but had no intent of running. We didn't give the leech any chance to escape. We killed him and saved Bella from danger.

Months after my first official face-off with a vampire, the Cullens returned to Forks. Apparently, Bella and Edward, her vampire in shining armor, reconciled after a trip to another country or something. I was hazy with the whole story. All I knew was that our kind was not happy about their return, especially Jacob. He had his heart set on Bella for a while now, but unfortunately, she had her heart set on a leech.

--

Sam had been stricter with our patrol rounds since the Cullens returned. Although our tribe had a treaty with the Cullens that they were not to cross our 'border' and not to bite any human, Sam still believed that they were threat to our kind.

He scheduled us on routine patrol that sent me home late and tired. My mom was not happy about it. She thought that my late nights were over. There were so many times that I wished I could tell my mom what I became so she would not worry, but she was not part of this circle. She was neither an elder nor an imprint. She did not belong to my world. I was just happy that she got tired and gave up on grounding me.

--

We were surprised, to say the least, when the Cullens contacted our pack months after their return. They were asking for our help to fight against newborn vampires. It was their fight and I didn't understand at first why we should be bothered by it until they pointed out that they will surely lose without our help and they couldn't guarantee our people's safety. That convinced Sam to volunteer us.

Jasper taught us how to fight the vampires. It was the last thing I expected them to teach us; we could use this knowledge to kill them, and yet they taught us how to fight their kind. They must be desperate for doing this.

After weeks of training and preparation, the said newborns came and with our unlikely alliance, we defeated them. No one was harmed from their coven, but one was hurt in our pack, Jacob. I was furious when it happened, but not towards the vampires, but towards Leah. She never listened to commands and thought she was strong and agile enough to fight off on her own. Jacob had to save her, and unfortunately for him, he got beat.

Things definitely changed after this event. Although Jacob thought he stood a better chance on her, Bella chose Edward over Jacob, and Jacob didn't take it well. Jacob left us, left the pack and went by himself. He wouldn't even let me nor Quil join him.

The worst blow came when Bella and Edward got married. We were glad that Jacob came back. He came for the wedding, hiding in the shadows. It was noble of Edward to let him speak to Bella. It was going good until Jacob found out that she had no intention on turning back on her decision to become one of them, especially when he found out what they initially planned before the transformation. Edward tried to calm him down and Jacob would not hear any of it. Good thing Sam was there, who knew what would have happened.

--

It was good when Jacob finally realized that Bella was firm with her decision; she married Edward and he couldn't have done anything to change it. He came back to La Push for good. He was not happy, he had been bitter about it, but he'll get over it. Quil and I were just happy to have him back. Things were not the same without him.

To our dismay, that didn't last long. When we heard Bella and Edward returned from their honeymoon and Bella was sick, there was an argument. If Bella was already a vampire, the Cullens broke the treaty, no more mercy. If she's not a vampire, then why won't they let Charlie see her?

Sam said that there will be no attack on the Cullens. Jacob was furious. He left the pack. Again. We don't know if it's going to be for a long time like the last, or would it be just for him to cool off. With Jacob, we couldn't be certain.

Jacob went to their house to investigate and found out that she's still human and pregnant. Wow, that's something else, totally unexpected. It was probably not a big deal until Sam pointed out that the kid she's carrying was a problem; it' monstrous. They would kill what she's carrying, whether or not it kills Bella in the process. Jacob did not agree with Sam and it was the last straw. He left the pack, but not just for the sake of leaving. He detached himself from us. We could no longer hear his thoughts.

Seth and Leah shortly joined Jacob. I wanted to, but I had my beliefs and I believed that Sam was right. Bella's baby was a threat to human, it's killing her. As soon as she breathed her last, the treaty would no longer stand. I knew that Jacob cared for Bella, but why was he willing to risk our loved ones for a love that was already lost?

--

When Bella gave birth to Renesmee, things changed. Jacob imprinted on her, making the Cullens off limits, being his imprint's family. That's when I understood why Jacob was so keen to keep the baby safe. She already had a pull on him even before she was born.

It was decided that the treaty was not broken even though Bella was turned because she was dying in childbirth and the only way to save her was to make her one of them.

Quil and I decided to join Jacob's pack. It was good decision on our side. We missed Jacob's company, although he spent most of his time with Renesmee than us.

However, the bliss did not last long. After a few months, the Volturi decided to pay a visit to Forks. This wasn't their first visit as some of them were here when we fought off the newborn vampires, but this was the first time we were to face them. Last time, we were out of the clearing before they arrived. The Cullens told us that this visit was unprecedented since not all of them leave Volterra at the same time.

Renesmee was the reason for their visit, or should I say impending attack, something about an immortal child. The explanation for that was left to the vampires, it was their business. We were only involved to protect humans. We have prepared, trained and met with the vampires more than we did the last time.

More werewolves phased due to this danger. Seven more to be exact: Tom, Daniel, Bruce, Kyle, Harry, Raleigh and Janus. All of us gathered with the other vampires who agreed to stand as witnesses for the Cullens. With much dismay of the younger werewolves, there was no fight. The Volturi left peacefully, leaving everyone unharmed and unscathed.

--

It felt good to wake up on the comfort of my bed. It's been a while since I had a long goodnight sleep. No thanks to the vultures, or whatever those vampires were called, Jacob assigned us in continuous patrol, barely giving us enough time to go home and sleep. I thought about going back to Sam's pack, but I was pretty sure that their patrolling schedule was no better than ours. Sometimes, I barely made it inside the house before my body gave.

I took my time before I headed to the kitchen. My mom had always been on my case for the late nights. However, I could tell she missed me having around since she cooked a hearty breakfast for me.

It was starting to be a good day until Sam came by, interrupting my breakfast.

"Embry, good morning, do you have a minute?" he greeted.

"Sure, Sam, what's up?" I asked, intrigued. Sam had never been in my house, especially by himself.

"Wait, did you eat yet? Mom just made breakfast," I offered.

"I'll pass. I ate before I left the house."

"Suit yourself," I shoved the toast in my mouth. With a full mouth, I asked him, "So what brought you here?"

"After last night's event, I had a long talk with Emily," he started.

"Oh yeah? What about?" I mean seriously, why was he telling me this?

"I decided to stop phasing. No more phasing for me," he said with a straight face.

"What!? Are you serious?"

"Yes."

"Wait, how do you do it? How do you set your body to stop phasing?" I asked. I never heard anyone who stopped phasing.

"Old Quil said that since we could now control our emotions, we could easily phase back and forth. He said that it's mental control to stop the phasing. Set your mind to control your emotions and once you've had your mind set, your body will no longer be affected by your emotions. I had decided that my emotions will no longer control me, so even if I get angry, I will no longer phase," Sam explained. "It's time I do it. Emily and I had been planning to get married and I think it's the best for us before we settle down and have a family."

"Wow. I mean I was not expecting that. I thought after all the action we've had in the past months; you'll be more motivated to lead the newbies." I was still in shock.

"It was actually those events that made me decide. I don't want Emily become a widow as soon as we get married. Being a werewolf complicated things."

"Have you told your pack yet?" I asked.

"No, I haven't. I'm looking for a replacement first before I make the announcement."

"Who's it gonna be, then?" I shoved some omelet in my mouth.

"Actually, I'm here because of that. Embry, will you please replace me as the Alpha of my pack?"

I choked.

--

A/N: I know it's kinda like a rundown of the Twilight Saga, but I just want to point out the events in the lives of the werewolves as to why Sam decided to stop phasing and ask Embry to become an alpha.

I decided to name the other werewolves who phased when the Volturi came just in case I want to refer to them in the future. They will not be a big part of this story.


	2. Alpha

**Disclaimer:**

**Characters based on Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga. **

Embry POV

After I collected myself, I blurted, "You're kidding, right?"

"I'm serious, Embry. That's why I came to see you in person," Sam said.

"But, why me? Why not Jared or Paul?"

"Jared said no, so did Paul. They have imprints and they said that time may come for them to decide on what I decided on already. They didn't want to accept the responsibility now then turn back soon," Sam explained.

"How about Collin or Brady? I think they're okay," I suggested half-heartedly.

Sam looked at me, "You're not serious?"

I sighed. I know those two; since they phased, they have been cocky and acting not on better judgment. The last time the La Push pack needs was to have ballsy stupid Alpha. If any of them become the alpha, the pack will surely suffer. When I didn't answer, Sam knew his decision of not asking any of them was right.

"I thought so," he said then continued, "Don't even suggest any of the others; they were practically inexperience with this whole werewolf affair."

"Why me?" I asked again.

"Well, to be honest Embry, you don't have an imprint and that made me ask you to take my place." I heard the truth in his voice.

"I don't know, Sam," I shook my head, still in disbelief.

"Think about it, Embry. I don't need your answer now, but the sooner the better. I want to make the announcement as soon as possible. I'll let you get back to your breakfast."

Sam stood up, patted me on the shoulder and left. My stomach was still growling but I lost my appetite. So much for my hearty breakfast.

--

I went to the Black's house in hopes to talk to Jacob. Of course, he was at the Cullens. I didn't know how long he's gonna be gone so I called Quil to see if he was home. He was, so I went to his house instead.

"Hey," he nodded.

"Got a sec?" I asked.

"Yeah, sure." We sat outside.

"Sam came to see me this morning," I started.

"Sam? Why?" he asked.

"You won't believe me if I tell you."

"Try me."

"He decided to stop phasing," I looked at him as he nodded, then I continued, "and he wanted me to replace him as Alpha."

"No shit!" Quil exclaimed.

"Told you!" I simply said as his mouth hung open.

"Why you, though? We're not even in the same pack," he asked when he finally snapped out of it.

"That's what I was thinking, too. He must have lost his mind. I mean, he's not even my alpha. But he said Jared and Paul both turned down the offer. I think he's desperate."

"Did you tell Jacob yet?"

"Not yet. He's not home. Besides, I haven't decided yet. Mind if I stay here while I wait."

"Sure, you can stay. But I'm coming with you when you tell him. I gotta see his reaction," he chuckled but I was not amused.

--

After a few hours, Quil and I went to Jacob's house. He was not home yet, but we decided to wait on the porch.

When Jacob arrived after half an hour or so, he was surprised to see us.

"I thought you planned on eating and staying in bed the whole day?" he asked.

"That was the plan until Sam showed up while I was eating breakfast," I answered.

"Sam? What did he want?"

"You better sit down first, Jake," Quil suggested and Jake did.

"Should I be worried?" Jacob asked.

"Nah. I just don't want you to fall over and hit your head," Quil chuckled. I glared at him.

"Just spit it out," Jacob said and I told him exactly why Sam went to see me.

I was surprised when Sam asked me to replace him as Alpha, but I was more surprised when I told Jacob about it. His reaction was unexpected.

"That's great, Embry!" Jacob exclaimed.

"What do you mean it's great? I think it's weird. I'm not even in his pack," I was confused.

"He's lost it," Quil shook his head; he's probably as surprised as I was with Jacob's reaction.

"We're still from the same tribe. It's not like we totally abandoned them. We're still in the same town. We're just across the 'border'," Jacob explained

I saw something in Jacob's eyes. Seems like he was hiding something, "Did he ask you to go back in the La Push's Pack and be their alpha?"

"He did and I turned it down. We will never share the same sentiment about the Cullens. He still treats them as threat; they're my family now," Jacob answered.

I understood what he meant. The Cullens were still not welcomed in La Push even though they have abolished their border line. "Did he ask you about me?"

"He asked for my help when I turned his offer down. I told him whoever he decided to pick, whether it may be from his pack or mind, it's fine with me."

"But why me?"

"No go on Jared and Paul. If I were on his shoes, I would have done the same thing. You're the first to phase from the three of us."

"I'm pretty sure that Sam asked me instead of Quil," I nodded my head towards Quil, "since he also has an imprint. I guess not finding mine is a good thing," I chuckled.

"Well, I just hope that when you find yours, she's a grown up rather than a new born baby. It's hard to deal with parents." We all laughed.

Jacob cleared his throat after a few seconds, "I think you should take it, Embry."

"You're not serious?" I exclaimed, standing up in the process.

"Chill, sit down," Jake pulled my arm and I sat.

"All I'm saying is that it's a great opportunity, Embry. Alpha, imagine that."

"Well, why didn't you take it from Sam before?" I asked.

"You got me there," Jacob said. "But the thing with me is that I didn't want to take the responsibility because I didn't want to be a wolf in the first place. I wanted to remain as a normal human for Bella, see where that went," he chuckled, I didn't. "Besides," he continued, "Sam prepared the pack; I think he deserved to remain the Alpha."

"I don't know, Jake. I was thinking about the pros and cons and the only pro I could think about is I could boss the other around. That's not a good sign," I shrugged.

"You know you won't be like that, Embry," Jacob said and I nodded. I knew that's not what being Alpha entails. It's a great responsibility and I was worried that it may be too much for me.

Quil's face became serious and it worried me, "Quil, what's going on in that head of yours?"

"Are you going to take it?" he asked.

"Jacob said I should so I think I am. He's our alpha after all," I joked and Jacob lightly punched my shoulder.

"I'm wondering, if you become the Alpha in La Push and we're going to be in two separate packs anyway, I'm thinking of moving back," Quil said while looking down on the ground.

I was surprised.

"I was about to suggest that to you," Jacob said to Quil.

"What is wrong with your heads!?" I asked raising my voice.

"Embry, be reasonable. Claire lives here in La Push; it'll be easier for Quil to do his patrol here. He has no business to be around the Cullens," Jacob explained.

"Why would you want to be under my command, Quil?" I asked him.

"It doesn't matter whose command I'm under, you're both my friends," Quil answered and with his tone, I knew he made up his mind.

"Two down, two more to go," Jacob exhaled.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I wonder if there's any way to convince Leah and Seth to go back," Jacob said.

"I doubt it. Edward is Seth's hero, he's not going anywhere. No Seth, No Leah," Quil answered.

Quil's decision to join me turned out to be a good one since the Cullens decided to go to New Hampshire. Bella wanted to go to college and since they got accepted in Dartmouth, they decided to go for it. Jacob, Leah and Seth joined them. Jacob wanted to be there to protect Renesmee, although I didn't think she'll need any protection with eight vampires with her. Seth and Leah stayed loyal with their Alpha and will go with him.

--

I called Sam that night to let him know that I was accepting the offer to replace him as Alpha. I also told him that Quil will be joining me. He was grateful for my decision and quickly called for a meeting.

Everyone was gathered when Embry and Quil arrived. Everyone looked at us with surprise.

"What are they doing here?" Raleigh asked Sam.

"It's a pack meeting," Sam simply answered as he nodded to me and Quil to sit by him.

"But they're Jacob's pack," Collin said.

"Not anymore. They are coming back," Sam explained.

"They can't do that. They decided to leave so stay there and don't come back," Brady said while glaring at Quil and me.

"Quiet!" Sam ordered and everyone did.

"Thank you," Sam said. "I called this meeting because I have an announcement to make. I am stepping down as Alpha. I'm done phasing."

Everyone was dumbfounded by his announcement. Everyone, except Jared, Paul, Quil and me.

"So, I take it you found a replacement?" Jared asked and Sam nodded.

"Who?" Paul asked.

"Embry," Sam's simple answer raised havoc within the pack.

"Why him?" "He's not even in this pack." "How could you choose him after he turned his back on us and joined Jacob?" "You're kidding right?" "This is unfair!" Everyone spoke at the same time.

"Settle down," Sam raised his voice enough to get everyone's attention.

Sam cleared his throat before he continued, "Just so you know, I offered the responsibility to Jared and Paul, who both turned it down. If you are mad, blame them, not my decision or Embry. I asked Embry to replace me even though he is not a member of our pack anymore because after me, Jared and Paul, he was the first to phase. Amongst all of you, he had the most experience not only in being a werewolf, but also in fighting our enemies. How many of you fought our enemies?"

Paul, Jared, Quil, Collin, Brady and I raised our hands.

"More than once?" Sam continued.

Quil, Collin and Brady put their hands down. They haven't phased when we encountered Laurent.

"I thought so. Remember, before most of you have phased, Embry was part of this pack. And he is still a part of this tribe; that never changed. As your alpha, you are not to question this decision. It is not a matter of discussion."

Everyone was silent.

Jared got up and stood in front of me. I thought he was going to punch me until he extended his hand, "Welcome back, Embry, or should I say alpha?"

I shook his hand, "Thanks, Jared."

Paul followed him, "I know I overreact. It's our own fault that Sam had to go to you." He patted me on the shoulder. They both nodded at Quil, recognizing his return to this pack.

The others were not happy with Sam's decision but once the alpha put his foot down, that was the end of discussion. The meeting was adjourned. Most of the pack left mumbling, still in disbelief of what just happened.

--

This turned out to be the second weirdest day of my life, day of my phasing being the first. I woke up this morning, just looking forward to spending my day lying around the house or maybe go to First Beach. In less than 24 hours, I became an Alpha of the La Push pack. Wow, my very own pack.

Even though I was in the comfort of my own bed, sleep wouldn't come. I stayed awake for hours, trying to figure out how to be an inspiring alpha. I have always dreamt about being in command, but now that it is at hand, I simply don't know what to do.


	3. Shining Star

**Disclaimer:**

**Characters based on Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga. **

Embry POV

After the initial shock of the whole alpha business, there was no more problem with the pack. Sam pretty much made it clear on his replacement and with Jared and Paul's support, the others accepted me.

Sam used to only have two groups for the rounds, thus they only have one day off. Since I didn't think that the Cullens were any threat, I changed the patrolling groups from two to four. I assigned Quil with Collin and Brady; Paul with Tom and Daniel; Jared with Bruce and Kyle; me with Harry, Raleigh and Janus. The pack was grateful to have extra time to rest. Sam was not happy with the changes I did but there was no threat and he's no longer the alpha so he had to set himself on the sidelines.

--

In March, Jacob's pack left with the Cullens. It would be different not being with him; good thing this was not the first time he left. At least now he's just a phone call away.

Our task easily became routine around La Push. After a month, everything in La Push was peaceful and in order. There was really no need to hold any pack meetings and no need to adjust the patrol assignments. Jared, Paul and Quil had more time spending time with Kim, Rachel and Claire. Not to mention giving time to Janus, who imprinted on Layle, a girl he met in First Beach. Lucky guy, he imprinted before I did and I had been a werewolf longer than him.

--

The first problem I had encountered had nothing to do with my pack. My mom had been thrilled of me being around more than before, so she planned a visit to Neah Bay, Washington, the town of the Makah tribe. She's dragging me with her. It should be fine since it was only for a week, except for the fact that I had no idea who to put in charge.

I went to Sam's house to ask who his second-in-command was before.

"Well, I didn't really have a second-in-command until Jacob phased."

"Jacob? You waited until you Jacob phased?" I was surprised.

"It was only me for a while, then Paul and Jared phased almost at the same time. We were a small pack back then and it was not like I ever took a time off and we never really split any patrolling teams. I didn't have any second-in-command until Jacob phased, but he was supposed to be the Alpha. When he didn't take it from me, I thought it was just proper to put him in charge when I'm not around," Sam explained.

"Jacob left your pack a while back. Who replaced him?" I asked.

Sam looked nowhere before he answered, "Believe it or not, I was half hoping that he would come back to the pack. I never replaced him."

I nodded my head. I probably would have done the same, hoped the same. "Any suggestion who would be a good second-in-command? I wouldn't worry about it so much if my mom didn't plan on leaving town for a week and forced me to go with her."

"Well, obviously, I would recommend Jared, Paul or Quil," Sam suggested.

"Among the three, who do you think would be the best fit?"

"I'm afraid that's up to you, Embry. It's your pack now," Sam said.

"I guess you're right. Thanks, Sam."

I got up and left. Well at least he gave me three to choose from, not that it helped much. I pretty much thought about those three already. I would have to call a meeting before I leave for sure.

--

Everyone was gathered on the shore of First Beach that night.

"Guys, I'll be out of town next week. While I'm gone, there will be a change in the patrolling team. Harry will do round with Collin and Brady. Quil will be joining Raleigh and Janus until I come back."

"So, who's in charge while you're gone?" Tom asked. Smarty pants. I was hoping no one would ask.

"I'm scheduled to leave on Sunday afternoon. Jared will be in charge on Monday and Tuesday; Paul on Wednesday and Thursday; Quil on Friday and Saturday. I will be back on Sunday. Every night, I will phase and I expect an update," I informed them.

"That's kinda confusing," Daniel complained.

"It's easy. The order is Jared, Paul, Quil and it's changing every two days starting Monday, so there, what's confusing about it?" I almost snapped at Daniel but I restrained myself. It's not his fault that I hadn't made up my mind as to who my right hand man will be.

--

My short visit to the Makahs went without a hitch. There was no problem in La Push and things were going well, but I didn't want to push my luck the next time I need to leave town. I would have to talk to Jacob when he gets back. I need his input on choosing my second-in-command.

Months quickly passed and the next thing I know, it's already July. Jacob, Seth and Leah were scheduled to fly back from Hanover to visit us for summer.

It would be great to have them around, especially Jacob; it would be like old times. He, Quil and I could hang out by the beach, check out girls. Well, just me, I guess. Even though their imprints were still toddlers, they never looked at any other girl anymore.

However, when they arrived, there was not much of hanging around. Jacob spent most of his time with the Cullens, trying to spend as much time with Renesmee as possible. The Cullens came back in mid-June, leaving Jacob, Seth and Leah since Leah needed to stay behind for a month because of her work. I would have loved to hang out with the siblings as well but Seth and Leah spent most of their time with Sue. During the little time that they were here, we tried to have as much bonfire meetings and picnics with the two packs. The conversation that I needed to have with Jacob never happened since all the time that we were together, we have other people with us.

September came and Renesmee's first birthday party was in full swing. First official birthday, I should say, since the kid looked like four. Amazing how fast she grew, half-breed. Everyone in the tribe was invited, but not all came. While a lot of us were friendly with the Cullens, most of them were still not happy with this 'friendship.'

Charlie picked up Sue, Leah and Seth. Jacob drove his old Rabbit with Billy, Rachel and Paul. Quil and Claire rode with Sam and Emily. I could have ridden with any them, but I had to make sure that when we leave for the Renesmee's party, will be fine with us celebrating with the Cullens. Quil brought me clothes in their car so I would have something to wear for the party. I called a last minute meeting before I left the rest.

"Are you sure you'll be safe there?" Raleigh asked.

"There are three wolves from our tribe going to that party. Aside from us, there's three more from Jacob's pack. Our families will be protected. The Cullens will not try anything," I snapped. We've been at it since Jacob invited the pack for the party. However, the new ones expressed strong emotion against any of us going.

"How about their 'friends'?" Brady asked.

"They won't be there until we're gone," I answered. "Any more questions?"

"So, who's in charge while you're gone?" Collin asked.

"Jared," I answered then said, "Meeting adjourned."

I heard Collin mumbled about not getting a chance to be in charge, but I ignored it.

--

I phased and ran to the Cullen's house for the party. I grabbed my clothes from Quil's car before I looked for them. Everyone was settled outside the house, complete with barbeque grill and bonfire. It looked like a fun party and everyone was at ease around each other, no vampires and no werewolves. From afar, it looked like a regular birthday party.

I didn't know what to get Renesmee. What do you buy someone whose family can give her everything she want or need? I decided on clothes. I asked Emily to pick the clothes for me as I have no idea what kind to buy.

When the breeze picked up, the party moved indoors. We continued our conversation amongst each other. Our tribe asked how was their move to Hanover; how was school; how's the weather there; was hiding hard to do during the day; any interesting creatures. Some even asked how I felt being an alpha and I responded with a shrug. It was not a big deal for me anyway.

During the party, I didn't get a chance to talk to Jacob either. He's been busy playing Uncle Jacob with Renesmee and assisting Billy in the party. Billy could pretty much easily go around their own house, but the Cullen's was an unfamiliar place for him, thus needing assistance from time to time.

When the gifts were opened and the day turned to night, it was time to go home. Our party slot was from three to seven, as they have other 'friends' to join them at night. Every guest left except for Jacob and I. Jacob had met the other guests and was comfortable being around them. Seth drove his Rabbit home. I on the other hand had to stay because I really need to talk to him. In two days, they were scheduled to leave for Hanover again and I really wanted to talk to him in person.

"Hey, Jacob, you got a minute?" I asked him.

"Sure, what you have in mind?"

I looked around, "Alpha business."

He led mo towards the dining room. He looked at me as if saying 'okay, spill.'

"How did you decide your second in command?" I asked.

"You mean you haven't chosen yet? You've been Alpha, what, more than six months ago?" Jacob was surprised.

"Well, that's the thing, how did you decide Leah over Seth?"

"It sort of fall into place. Seth joined me first but Leah really took on being second in command, but I guess it came with age, too. She went on patrol more than needed; I think it was more because she hated being around the Cullens at that time, but she has determination. Even when you and Quil joined that one time, I didn't plan to take the command from Leah. She earned it," Jacob explained. "You have to take into consideration who you can trust to take over in case, you know, something happens to you. Who's been acting as your right hand?"

"I sort of rotate between Jared, Paul and Quil. Jared and Paul are the oldest so I was thinking I could pick from them, but Quil's our best friend, so I don't know. I'm not even considering Collin and Brady because they're pretty young." I once mentioned to him that I assigned the patrolling assignment with four of us leading each team.

"Did you ask Sam?"

"I did, no help. He said he didn't really have a second in command until you came," I shrugged.

"What I can tell you is this; don't take friendship over command, it has to be justified. By blood, Quil's a good pick, blood of the elders. Paul's a little hard-headed, so maybe Jared. He's been around with Sam for a while, too. So there, I narrowed it down from three to two. The final decision is up to you."

"Thanks, Jacob."

Jacob patted my shoulder, "Don't know how much help I'd been but that's what friends are for."

We walked towards the living room and I bid goodbye to the Cullens, "Thanks for having me everyone."

I opened the door and froze. There seemed to be a commotion behind me but I did not know what happened. All I saw was the most beautiful woman I've ever laid my eyes on. Her strawberry blonde hair moved with the breeze. Her pale skin seemed so soft like silk. Her butterscotch eyes penetrated through mine. Could she be a vampire? With beauty like that, pale skin, butterscotch eyes like the Cullens, that was the only explanation. And yet, it did not matter. Eyes ours locked toward each other. I just stood there, looking at her, absorbing the beauty that radiated from her being.

I didn't know what went on and how much time passed. I guessed I was still in the Cullen's house since I heard Bella speak, "Embry, this is Tanya. Tanya, this is Embry. May I suggest we all get seated in the living room?"

I extended my hand her, to Tanya, the beautiful Tanya. I was half-nervous, not knowing if she would take my hand. I was glad that she did. I didn't know what came over me, was it the touch of her cold hand or the sparkle of her eyes. I lifted her hand to my lips and kissed it as I said "Pleased to meet you." I held on to her hand and led her to the living room. I sat on the love seat and was delighted that Tanya sat beside me. I looked at her and saw her looking down at our hands. I looked at our hands, amazed how they perfectly fit.

Whatever was happening around us seemed like a blur; all my attention was focused on Tanya. At that very moment, I knew she was my shining star in the empty dark sky. I didn't know who she was, what she was and I didn't care. There was only one thing I was certain of, I imprinted. I found my soul mate.

--

A/N: Next chapter/s will be Tanya POV.


	4. Edward

A/N: Before the story continues on what happened when Embry imprinted on Tanya, the next chapter or so will be Tanya POV from her past.

Reviews, good or bad, are always appreciated :D

**Disclaimer:**

**Characters based on Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga. **

Tanya POV

There was one place that had been in my mind lately. Forks, Washington. The weather there was not the best, but being a resident of Alaska for a long time, rainy days didn't seem so bad. Wet or cold, for me, there was no difference. Well, it was not the place, per se, but the person there. The person who I felt had been the reason of my being, the reason for living: Edward Cullen.

In my decades of existence, never had I felt anything stronger than what I felt for Edward. Unfortunately, the feelings were not mutual. Over and over again, Edward had turned my down in the most gentle manner that he could. But I had no intention of giving up. I might have been with human males before, but none of them made my dead heart ache like the way it did for Edward.

I had always hoped that Edward would realize that we were meant for each other. When Rosalie told me before that Carlisle initially intended her to be Edward's mate, I was surprised and relieved at the same time. Relieved since Rosalie found her mate in Emmett, which gave me another hope with Edward. No way I could have competed with Rosalie's beauty; knowing that Edward bore no interest in her gave me a chance.

My sisters Kate and Irina had told me again and again not to pursue a lost cause, but I couldn't help myself. I just continually hoped that one day, Edward would realize that he had been wrong when he turned me down. I hoped that he would treat me more than a friend, more than just another member of the family.

--

My dead heart rejoiced when he came to Alaska one day in winter. I knew he was supposed to be in school, and yet he was here, with us. I hoped for the best. He might have changed his mind; he finally accepted that we were meant to be together.

However, this thought changed. I could see that something was bothering him and I hoped that it was enough for him to stay here. I was wrong. He escaped to Alaska because it was the only place he could think of at a sudden decision, but I knew through his eyes that he had no intention of staying. When I looked at him, I knew this was something big. A girl. Only a girl could bring such emotion to a guy's mind. He wouldn't admit it, but I knew. I knew that his dead heart was captured. I didn't know who she was, didn't know what she was; the fact that she captured his attention was enough for me to feel defeated.

It hurt when he left; over and over again, my heart broke and yet I still hoped. How could someone he just saw have so much effect on him? Maybe it was just an initial attraction, maybe he was just intrigued. That could be it, pure intrigue. I would not give up until he found his life partner. Until then, there was still a chance for me, a window of hope.

--

A few months after, a male vampire came. We didn't know who he was or how he found us.

"My name is Laurent. I met the Carlisle and his coven in Forks. He told me about your coven here."

Irina took initial liking to him and introduced us, "My name is Irina, and these are my sisters Kate and Tanya. This is Eleazar and Carmen."

"A pleasure to meet you all."

Before I could stop myself, I asked him, "How are Carlisle and the others?"

Kate and Irina looked at me. They knew I was only interested in the well-being of one certain vampire.

"Unfortunately, things were not as good. I was traveling with two other, James and his mate Victoria. We came across them when they were playing baseball. They had a female human with them."

When he said human, my sisters and I looked at each other. It was not like Cullens to associate themselves with human. Aside from the hospital and school, they have kept things to themselves. Laurent seemed to notice our exchanged looks.

"It looked like she was with the boy with the bronze hair."

I gasped, "Edward." Before I could stop myself, I bolted out of the door. I didn't hear the other details of his story. All I knew was that my hope was shuttered. Edward found someone; she must have been the same girl that caused him to run away a few months ago. A human. It was a human that stole his heart from me.

It took days before I went back home. My sisters were waiting for me with open arms and hugged them both. Laurent apologized for being the bearer of bad news and I told him it was not his fault. My family knew what I was going through and none of them brought up the name that would surely bring me over the edge.

Irina and Laurent hit it off from the first day. He tried to accept our vegetarian living. It was hard for him and needed to hunt more often than necessary. Irina was happy to accompany him every time. Kate and I knew there was a spark between them. We're happy for her, knowing that she found someone.

Laurent, however, didn't stay with us for a long time. He needed more time to get used to our way of living. As soon as he was totally in control of his thirst, he promised Irina that he would come back.

--

Months after Laurent's departure, Carlisle called our house. His family wanted to come. We were surprised since we knew that the Edward and the others attended Forks High School and the school year already started. But their family hadn't been here in Alaska for while so we welcomed their visit.

When they arrived, that's when we knew what happened. They had to leave Forks; it was because of Edward's girlfriend, a sharp pang in my heart. And it hurt even more when I found out they left because they were protecting her from our kind. All the pain that went through my mind when Laurent first told us about the female human with them came back and it hurt even more.

It bothered me before when Rosalie was supposedly for Edward, but with beauty like hers, there was no competition. She was a goddess in her own being. But how could you compete with a human? Was does she have that our kind didn't have? Why did Edward to find his happiness with a human, a human who was fragile and would not live through eternity? Why her and not me?

"I'm really sorry for the pain I'm causing you," Edward said.

I was surprised as I didn't hear him. I went to the mountains to be alone; I wanted to be with the Cullens, but my pride wouldn't let me. I was angry; I was upset; most of all, I was jealous.

"It's not your fault that Jasper couldn't control himself. Your family needed to leave. We're all family here; it's fine that you stay with us. You would do the same for us," I answered as if he was referring to the pain of him being with me and not the fact that he already fell in love.

"I was not apologizing for our presence, my presence. I'm sorry for breaking your heart over and over again."

Damn mind reader. "I couldn't control your feelings like you couldn't control the weather."

I started walking away but he followed me. "What do you want, Edward? Forgiveness? There's nothing to forgive. You fell in love with a human; it was not your fault. It was not your fault either that Jasper lost his control and you had to leave Forks. It was not your fault that I couldn't let go of my feelings for you; that I couldn't accept the fact that we're not for each other. There's nothing to forgive!" I snapped at him.

I was surprised when I turned around and saw him kneeling on the ground, hand on his face. If we could cry, tears would be flowing on his face. I never saw him with such sorrow on his face. I've seen him troubled a few months back when he went here by himself. But this was so much different. He was sobbing; I could feel his heart breaking.

I didn't know what to say. I couldn't move from where I was standing. All I could do was to stare at him. I wanted to hold him, to console him, but was this gesture really for him, or was it for me? Did I really want to console him and tell him things would be all right, when in reality I was half wishing that it would turn the other way, giving me a chance with him? No, I couldn't be a hypocrite.

"I tried to feel something other than friendship for you, Tanya. I really tried. I tried it with Rosalie before when Carlisle turned her, knowing his intention. But I couldn't. It would unfair for anyone if I pretend to feel what I didn't. It would be unfair for you," he sobbed.

I walked towards him and sat beside him. I inhaled, savored his scent. As I exhaled, I also tried to blow off the feelings that I had for him lingering in my mind, in my heart, in my being. It was difficult; it hurt so much, but they said that you have to let the one you love go. Let them decide on their own who they wanted to be with, and it was obvious with Edward that he didn't want to be away from her.

"I'm sorry for keeping pushing myself to you, Edward. I know you're being a gentleman every time you turn me down; I just don't want to give up, not until you found someone to give your heart to. Laurent told us about her and I wouldn't hear any of it. Do you mind telling me about her?" I felt it would be easier for me to let go if I knew what kind of a person she was, if she was deserving of his love that I would never get.

"Her name is Bella. She moved to Forks early this year. Remember when I went here a few months ago?" He asked, I nodded, and then he continued. "I heard in your mind that you thought it was because of a girl, and it was. She's my singer."

I looked at him in disbelief. "Your singer? How did you control yourself?"

"It was hard at first. She sat beside me in Biology and I almost slaughtered the whole class because of her, but I kept thinking of Carlisle and what he built for us. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself it I destroy all the things he worked for. I ran away; I went here. I tried to clear my head, but her pull was strong. I didn't know if it was just her blood that called out for me, or was it something else. I went back, tried to make it through. I fought every urge I had to kill her."

He paused and looked ahead, staring at a blank space. "It was not long after before I realized what pull she had on me. The longing that I felt for her was not because of her blood, but something else. Alice said that I will love her. I hated that vision of hers because Bella was human. She said there were only two things that could happen."

He paused and looked at me. I knew what the two possibilities were, "Either you turn her or she dies in your own hands." He nodded then looked out again.

"Alice was right. I did love her. I still love her. How could I been such a fool? I refuse to turn her. I would not take away what she could have, living a life the way a human should. And I knew I couldn't let her die; I had been protecting her, even from herself. She's a klutz," he chuckled then closed his eyes. I knew he was trying to bring back the memories that he had of her. Probably the only thing he had left of her.

"She must be really something," I said, my voice faint.

He didn't say anything; he just nodded and put his face on his hands. I put my hand on his shoulder; this time, it was not because I longed to feel him under my hand, but because he needed a friend. I was not a good friend for him before; all I could think about was my feelings for him. Now, after I saw the pain he's going through, I knew that I would rather be a friend to him, than be the one who would give him more things to think about.

"Thank you," he whispered.

_You're welcome._

We sat there in silence. He told me everything about her; how she looked like, how she couldn't walk straight in a flat surface, how she blushed, the many times he saved her and how much he loved her. It hurt a little bit, but I was glad to have his friendship than not to have him at all.

--

A/N: I wanted to get into the details of Tanya's lack of love life, mostly because of Edward. I wanted to give her more story, rather than just being Tanya of the Denali clan.


	5. Loved and Lost

A/N: Reviews, good or bad, are always appreciated :D

**Disclaimer:**

**Characters based on Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga. Some parts of this chapter were directly quoted from Breaking Dawn.**

Tanya POV

Edward did not stay long with us. He looked like a man with a mission but he did not let any of his family to go with him. Alice said he was determined to find Victoria, James' mate. He wanted to make sure that she would not hurt Bella. When I heard this, I felt a pang, but not as strong that it would have been in the past; I was slowly letting Edward go.

A few months passed and no news from Edward. Alice was the one who was most affected by his departure and truly saddened. Rosalie was furious, accusing Edward of being selfish. Esme was missing his dear son. Emmett and Jasper wanted to find their brother, but Carlisle said to let him be; he would be back when he was ready to face his family again.

--

One day, Alice suddenly fell silent and her eyes were focused nowhere. She had a vision that Bella jumped off a cliff. She got ready to leave for Forks to make sure that Bella was okay, hoped that she would not be too late to stop her. Jasper wanted to come, but Alice insisted that she just wanted to make sure Bella was fine and would go back as soon as she assured her safety. Alice left in haste, jumped on Carlisle's car without looking back.

Rosalie had been on the phone, cursed over and over as she practically broke the keypad. Alas, she was able to talk to Edward and relayed to him what Alice saw. It was a family matter; I should not intervene, although a part of me wanted to stop Rosalie. Alice left to check on Bella; there was no need for Edward to worry about the safety of the woman he loved.

A lot of chaos happened the following days. Alice called, furious with Rosalie when she called Edward. Bella was safe. Alice saw Edward in her vision heading to Italy. Both our families panicked with his action. Alice and Bella flew to Italy. We all waited and hoped for the best. Two days after, Carlisle and the rest of the Cullens left to go to Seattle airport to pick up Alice, Bella and Edward. Edward was safe.

--

After they were settled back in Forks, they called and thanked us for our hospitality. They picked up where they left off; Edward and Bella got back together. It was all happy news until we found out about Laurent.

"What news do you have about Laurent?" Irina asked.

"Irina, Laurent's dead. A few months back, he found Bella alone in the forest and cornered her. He was on the verge of attack when the werewolves came," Alice explained.

"Werewolves? What werewolves?" Irina was confused.

"A pack lives in La Push, a pack we have a treaty with. Our agreement states that no one in our family is to attack any human and they would leave us alone. Laurent threatened Bella. I'm sorry," Carlisle said.

"The…the were…the werewolves killed him?" Irina's voice shook. It was hard to say these words. Laurent was more than a friend to her.

"We're so sorry, Irina," Esme said but Irina did not hear it anymore. She ran outside. Kate and I wanted to follow her, but Carmen said to let her be; she needed time to grieve on her own.

--

We waited a few days and hoped that Irina would come home, but when she didn't, Kate and I looked for our sister. It took us hours before we saw her. She was sitting on a tree trunk, cried tearless sobs. Kate and I sat on either side of her and wrapped our arms around her. Neither Kate nor I knew what to say; none of us had met anyone who could be our mate; Laurent was the first who could have been Irina's but now he was gone.

It took days before we decided we couldn't shake off our hunger any longer and decided to hunt. This brought another wave of sadness to Irina.

"I shouldn't have let him leave," Irina said after we had our fill.

"He already decided on his own, Irina. You shouldn't blame yourself," Kate said.

"I should have left with him."

"It took us decades before we got used to our diet. It was hard for him to ignore the human scent; you don't know what he could have done if you try to stop him; he could have hurt you," I said to her and Irina realized that Laurent decided his own fate for himself.

We walked back to the house in silence. There was no need to run; time was on our side. Irina needed to heal and only time could help her with that. All Kate and I could do was to be on her side.

--

Months passed and to our surprise, the Cullens called for help. Victoria built an army of newborns in her quest for revenge against Edward for killing James. She sought out to kill Bella, a mate for a mate. Carlisle and his family asked for our help. They said the werewolves already volunteered to help, but the more force they have, the better chances of winning.

"No," Irina said. "I will not fight with them, not after what they did to Laurent."

"Irina, the Cullens need all the help they could get. We don't have to fight alongside the werewolves," Eleazar tried to convince her.

"We will meet with them. I can't face them and not want to rip their bones off. No, my answer is still no," Irina was firm in her decision.

The Cullens were not happy with our decision not to help. They were our extended family, yes, but Irina's decision weighed more for us. My family fully supported Irina.

We heard the result of the fight; through the unlikely alliance, the Cullens won the fight against the newborn army. We were happy for their triumph. We were relieved to know that none of our extended family was hurt during this battle; a battle that we were not able to lend a hand to.

--

Not long after the war against the newborns, we received an invitation. I opened it and read that Edward and Bella were getting married in August. My hands shook and I dropped the invitation on the floor. Irina saw it and read it. She put the invitation on the table. She hugged me; the others did not understand what was going on. They looked at what Irina put on the table and they knew.

"Tanya, I'm sorry," Kate said as she wrapped her arms around me.

"I knew it was coming; I was hoping it wouldn't be too soon. It still hurts," I said. I didn't know that my feelings were still this strong for Edward; I thought I learned to let go but I was just fooling myself. The pain I felt now was as strong as ever. And now, he already decided to marry her, making his declaration of love for her official.

"Do you want to get some air?" Irina asked. I nodded and the three of us walked outside. Eleazar and Carmen did not follow. It was hard for them to see any of us in the state of a broken heart when they had each other to lean on.

We didn't get far; we could still see the image of the house, but it was enough for Eleazar and Carmen not to hear us.

"How are you feeling? Sorry, stupid question, forget it," Kate said.

"It's okay, Kate. I'm the one who's stupid. He turned me down over and over again, but I just couldn't let go. I lie to myself every single day that I'm over him. This just shows that I'm not."

"Let time help you heal," Irina said.

"I'm sorry, Irina. I know it's harder for you because Laurent's gone. Edward is still alive, it's not like he died or anything."

"Oh, hush," Irina said, "Whether he's alive or not don't ease up the pain. I think it even hurts more since you know he's alive but there is no way for him to be with you. At least with Laurent, I know he's not with anyone else."

"I guess you're right," I agreed with her.

"So, are we going?" Kate asked.

I looked at Irina. She looked far away. "They are friends with the werewolves now and I'm sure there would be some in their wedding. I'm not ready to forgive them yet."

"Irina," Kate said, but Irina cut her off.

"The rest of you should go; it's the least you could do for not lending a hand last time. I'll stay. Send them my regards."

"Then, I'll stay here with you," I said.

"Do you want Edward to think that you are still hang up on him?" Irina asked without looking at me.

"Well, no. It still hurts but I still have pride, you know."

"And so do I, so you guys go and I'll stay."

With that, our conversation was over.

--

We went to the wedding without Irina. We arrived right before the ceremony started. It was beautiful and so was Bella. This was the first time I saw her and Edward was right; her beauty was simple, and if you were not really looking, you would miss it. Her angelic face won his love and affection. The whole time of the ceremony, their eyes were locked on each other, another sharp pain inside me.

Bella did not seem happy to see us, maybe a part of her was still disappointed that we did not lend a hand to her soon-to-be-family in time they needed us the most. Either that or she was nervous; this was our first meeting after all. I was just happy that my family was still invited to their wedding even though we did not show much of loyalty.

After the ceremony, we waited our turn to greet the newlyweds. The smell of the humans was appetizing but the mixture of the smell of wet dogs lessens the venom that swam in my mouth. After the alliance that the Cullens had with the werewolves, we expected them to be present in this wedding. They were much more part of this family than we were now.

As soon as the humans in front of us finished their turn, before I could stop myself, I reached out to hug Edward, "Ah Edward, I've missed you."

I had a feeling that I hugged Edward too long because Bella started to look a bit uncomfortable. Edward chuckled but gently got out of my arms. He stepped back after placing his hand on my shoulder, "It's been too long, Tanya. You look well."

I might look well, but I was broken hearted. I said what felt like natural to say, "So do you."

"Let me introduce you to my wife," he said with much enthusiasm on his face. "Tanya, this is my Bella." I looked at her with much jealousy. I took her hand and tried to smile as naturally as I could, "Welcome to the family, Bella." What else should I say? I didn't want her to think that I didn't like her; she got Edward, but it wasn't her fault nor was it Edward's. It just wasn't meant to be.

I had to say something to make her feel that she was welcomed in the family, "We consider ourselves Carlisle's extended family, and I am sorry about the, er, recent incident when we did not behave as such. We should have met sooner. Can you forgive us?" There was no lie in my words. They came out as sincere as I felt. We really should have met sooner; maybe if we did, the pain I felt would have been lessen.

"Of course. It's so nice to meet you."

She looked nervous and uncomfortable so I decided to lighten up the mood a bit, "The Cullens are all evened up in numbers now. Perhaps it will be our turn next, eh, Kate?"

Kate rolled her eyes, "Keep the dream alive." She took Bella's hand, "Welcome, Bella."

Carmen stepped in and put her hand on top of Kate's, "I'm Carmen, this is Eleazar. We're all so very pleased to finally meet you."

Bella stuttered, "M-me, too."

There was a queue behind us and they were looking at us. Aside from the fact that we were holding the line, it was rare for them to see a group of people as beautiful as the Cullens. We had to make our exit, "We'll get to know each other later. We'll have eons of time for that!" I joked and my family moved on.

The party continued. We joined the fun. Kate and I even joined the bouquet toss but with no intent to catch it. The bouquet was caught by a girl named Angela and the garter was caught by Mike, the boy who was in front of us when we greeted Edward.

The music started and Edward effortlessly led Bella in the dance floor. I watched them danced gracefully, both of their faces beamed happiness. When Edward leaned down to kiss her while they were dancing, all I could do was look away. It didn't hurt as much but it still did affect me in some ways.

After a few minutes, I noticed Edward was dancing with Rosalie. I couldn't see where Bella went; probably to touch up her make-up. This was my only chance to dance with him. I walked towards him and tapped Rosalie, "Rose, may I cut it?"

"Why so formal, Tanya? You know you could just shove me off," Rosalie joked and let me step in.

"You're right, she's beautiful," I said to Edward as soon as we placed our arms.

"Thank you. And thank you again for coming," he simply said.

"I'm happy for you, Edward. It still hurts but seeing how happy you are with her, it's worth to let you go."

"Tanya, I'm sor…" Edward started to apologize but I cut him off.

"Don't be sorry, Edward. Someday, or a few decades from now, I'll meet someone," I smiled at him.

"I hope you do, Tanya. You deserve to have someone to share eternity with," Edward said.

"You're an inspiration, Edward." We danced in silence until the music finished. I hugged him once more before I left the dance floor.

I occupied myself catching up with Rosalie and the rest of the family. After an hour or so, Edward and Bella changed into their going away clothes and set for their honeymoon. The guests left in small groups and in the end, it was only us and the Cullens that were left.

"You could stay if you want," Esme said.

"I'm afraid that we have to head back. Irina's by herself," Kate said.

"We are truly sorry for not being by your si…" I started to say but Carlisle raised his hand.

"Let's forget about that. You have your reasons for not going and we don't blame you. All that matters now is that we are reconciled."

"Thank you, Carlisle, for your kindness. Thank you, everyone," Eleazar said.

"We should get going," Carmen said and we said our goodbyes to everyone and headed back to Alaska.


	6. Kate's Half

A/N: I don't know how many of you had problems logging in to fanfiction. I kept getting errors for three and a half days; it was a bit frustrating. Here's a new chapter.

A lot of the part of this chapter happened in Breaking Dawn. Instead of quoting directly from BD, I just did a rundown. Some parts are from my story '_**Life Goes On**_.'

**Disclaimer:**

**Characters based on Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga. **

Irina was not home when we got there. She did not leave any note to say where she was going. Her scent already faded; Kate and I didn't have anything to follow her trail. We decided to wait and hoped that she would come back.

A couple of months or so, we were surprised to get a call from Carlisle.

"Have you seen Irina?"

"No, we haven't. She wasn't here when we came back from the wedding. We were hoping we would come back on her own. What's the matter?" Kate asked.

"She was here. Alice saw her coming with possibility of reconciliation, but it was never concrete. Bella saw hunting with a werewolf. It might have upset her and she ran away. Alice said she didn't look like she's heading home," Carlisle explained.

"She usually goes as she pleases but she was so close there and she just left. Where did she go?" Kate and I were confused.

"We don't know either, but as soon as you find out, please let us know."

"Of course, Carlisle. And please do the same," I said before we hang up.

--

A few days passed and we received another call from Carlisle.

"Have you found her?" Kate asked.

He seemed hesitant before he answered, "No, we haven't. But we need you to come down here. We need your help."

"Help? Is something wrong?" I asked.

"You will know when you get here."

"Okay, Carlisle. We'll hunt then head to Forks."

After we hung up, we looked at each other.

"What do you think that's about?" Carmen asked.

"I don't know, but after turning our backs on them the first time, I think we should lend them a hand," Eleazar said.

"You read my mind, Eleazar. They would never ask for our help if it was not a dire need," Kate said.

"We should get going," I said, "We have a long way to travel."

We hunted close by and jumped on the car and drove to Forks.

--

It was a shock when we arrived at the Cullens. Before he told us what was going on, Edward pleaded us over and over again to keep an open mind. I promised that we would listen to his explanation. We listened when he asked as to listen for heartbeats and sniffed when he asked as to smell a distinct scent. He then introduced us to Renesmee.

We could not believe our eyes. She was an immortal child. I staggered back when I first saw her; Kate jumped towards the door and Eleazar crouched in front of Carmen. We snarled at them, at their creation, but Edward pleaded for our understanding and reminded us that we promised to listen. He explained that he was the girl's biological father and Bella gave birth to her when she was still human. Carmen was the first to acknowledge their explanation and stepped closer to her. She noticed the resemblance of Renesmee with Bella and Edward; a resemblance that in a way we saw but initially refused to accept.

Renesmee touched Carmen's face; Eleazar wanted to pull her but she said no. Renesmee has a gift; she could communicate her thought through her touch. She did this to Eleazar, Kate and I. Edward told the truth, Renesmee was not an immortal child. She was a half-breed, half-human and half-vampire. Irina did not have the chance to hear their explanation, Renesmee's story. With that, she went to the Volturi which brought our extended family in danger. We agreed to stand as witnesses for them.

Emmet and Rosalie went a different direction from Esme and Carlisle to gather more witnesses. Alice and Jasper left the family without much explanation. How they could leave their family at this time off need was beyond me.

Other vampires arrived in the course of the week and the Cullens, with our help, relayed the situation to the others. It was hard to explain to some; easier for the others. After our brief encounter with the others, Kate and I went hunting. We were both silent, both occupied with deep thoughts.

"Why didn't she come to us? Why didn't she ask them for an explanation? All of these could have been prevented," I said after we finished draining our catch.

"I don't think it would have made a difference if she went to us if none of us heard the explanation ourselves." Kate was right; we would have the same reaction.

We sat in silence and let time pass. It took us a while before we got over the fact that the Volturi killed our mother, Sasha, for creating an immortal child, Vasili. In the next few weeks, we would face them again, but this time, Irina would not be on our side.

--

Bella wanted to learn how to fight, but Edward refused to teach her. He was very protective of her even though she was pretty much indestructible like the rest of us. I had the opportunity to train with Bella, although a little part of me wanted to physically hurt her because I was still jealous. I knew I didn't really stand a chance, her being a newborn as she was. Amazingly though, aside from her speed and strength, she had so much control beyond our understanding in terms of her hunger for human blood.

Kate trained Bella as well. She learned to expand her shield, as Eleazar described it. It was great to have such gifts; I was not good enough to have any gift, though. I just concentrated on learning how to fight.

We met Garrett with the other vampires who came to stand as witnesses for the Cullens. I knew he initially took an interest with Kate. Kate was too busy training her powers that she didn't see how much attention Garrett was giving to her.

--

Days quickly passed and the dreaded day came. The Volturi arrived with Irina. It broke my heart when I saw her with them. She looked sad and burdened.

Aro and the others listened to Edward and his family. When they proved that Renesmee was not an immortal child, Cauis ordered Irina's death. I tried to attack Cauis for what he did. Zafrina blurred my vision; Edward kept me in place and Carlisle tackled me. It took Rosalie, Emmett and Garrett to stop Kate. Carlisle was right when he stopped us from attacking; it was what the Volturi wanted. They wanted us to attack them so that there would be no reason for them to stop killing all of us.

Cauis was not convinced about Renesmee's future, while Marcus could care less. Because of Nahuel, the half-breed that Alice and Jasper brought, there was no war. We were all safe; all but one. The only death during our confrontation with the Volturi was Irina. If only she did not jump in any conclusion. If only she came to us or talked to the Cullens as she initially intended, this could have been avoided. She would still be alive.

The Cullens thanked all of us for being there by their side. One by one, pair by pair, the other vampires left and continued on with their lives. As he promised, Garrett went with us when we came back to Alaska.

--

The first few days were quiet when we reached home. Both Kate and I still mourned for Irina; we had always been the three sisters. I was glad that Kate now had Garrett to fill a part of her. She would not be alone.

It was hard for Garrett to adjust; animal blood was not so appetizing as opposed to human blood, but he seemed to be doing everything he could to be on Kate's good side. I had seen his sincerity and I was happy for Kate.

"Garrett's great, isn't he?"

"Yes, he is," Kate answered sheepishly. She had spent most of her time with him, getting to know him and his past.

I hugged her, "I'm so glad you found someone."

"You'll find yours too, Tanya. You're too great of a person to be alone. Give it time," she advised.

"Time is all I have in the world," I joked and we both laughed.

--

A few months after our meeting with the Volturi, the Cullens called to visit. We were happy to have their company in our home. It was always good to have them with us, especially this time that it was for a visit, and not a dreaded war.

Kate and I greeted them as soon as they parked the cars, "Oh, it's so great to see you!" I carried Renesmee, "Why, look at you, you've grown again since the last time we saw you."

Kate kissed Renesmee's head, "Such a pretty face." She then noticed our incomplete number, "Where are Alice and Jasper?" I looked around; maybe she just didn't see them.

Esme answered her, "They went to visit Zafrina and the Amazonians."

"The Amazonians? Why?" Carmen was puzzled.

"Why don't we go inside and catch up there? The cold may not be bothering us, but the child is half-breed," Garrett suggested as he help Edward and Emmett with the bags.

When we were all settled, Carmen asked everyone, "So, care to tell us why Alice and Jasper are in the Amazon?"

Bella asked Kate to touch her hand. I was confused; she knew that Kate wouldn't have any effect on her. Kate touched Bella and she jumped, "Ow! That hurts."

"Now you know," I giggled.

"How did it work this time?" Kate laughed.

"Zafrina thought me how to let my shield down," Bella said. Kate and I stopped laughing and looked at each other.

"I still don't understand what that has anything to do with Alice and Jasper," Carmen asked. She took the words from my mouth.

Edward stepped in, "Alice can see both human and vampires in her visions, but not shape-shifters nor half-breeds. She can't see Renesmee. She wants to know if there's any chance that she could work around it. We told her it is not needed, but she insisted."

"When was the last time you talked to her?" I asked.

"Last week. We told them to give us a weekly update. They should be calling in two or three days. We will let them talk to you when they call," Esme answered.

"That would be nice." I and Kate said in unison.

I noticed Bella and Edward's face changed. Bella said something first, "There is another reason for our visit." She stopped abruptly and Edward continued, "We are moving to Hanover. Bella and I are attending Dartmouth."

"You're moving that far? All of you?" Kate's voice broke at the end.

"I'm afraid so. I am pretending to be thirty-four when I can barely pass as thirty. The staff might get suspicious that I'm not getting any older," Carlisle explained.

"We are going to be back during school breaks so you can come down to Forks and visit us," Rosalie told Kate and I. This brought a smile to my face after hearing the sad news.

"Alice and Jasper will be back in September. Alice is throwing Renesmee's party when she officially turns one year old. So you really must come," Bella said.

I smiled, "We'll be there, of course." It was such a short time that I spent to know about Bella and Renesmee and now they were planning to leave. It would be great to spend some time with them whenever possible.

"Oh, stop being so sad, it's not like we don't have centuries ahead of us," Garrett threw in a witty remark, and we laughed.

--

The atmosphere was light and happy. Kate and I spent most of our time playing with Renesmee. She had grown so much since the last time we saw her just a few weeks ago. The guys were always talking or wrestling, much to Emmett's requests. I saw Bella outside; I was thinking of talking to her, but she was talking to Garrett. After a few minutes, I was surprised when Garrett entered the house and looked flustered. What conversation did he have with Bella? I eyed him but he didn't see; he was looking intently on Kate. Something was going on but I couldn't tell what. Garrett had been looking flustered and nervous since last week.

"Are you okay?" I asked Garret.

"Yes, I'm fine," he answered without looking at me. "Kate, I'm going hunting. I was wondering if you would like to come."

Kate stood up, "Sure. Tanya, you going?" she asked. I quickly flicked my eye on Garrett who lightly shook his head.

"You two go ahead. I'm still okay," I answered and winked at Garrett when Kate wasn't looking. They headed our hand in hand.

After a few hours, Kate rushed into the room, all giddy. She gathered all the women in the room, flashing her left hand. "It's beautiful," we all gasped on the ring she was wearing.

"Isn't it?" Kate giggled. "He said the stone reminded him of my eyes and that's how he knew it was 'the ring'," Kate cannot stop giggling, then looked at Garrett and winked at him. We all gathered around and congratulated both of them.

--

Alice finally called on their last day in Alaska. Kate was the first to talk to her. She informed her all about the engagement and went on about the wedding details. She talked to Alice for so long that we barely had a chance to talk to them before their battery died.

"Alice said that we should hold the wedding on September so that she could plan it and it will just be one trip for all of us. It will be your summer vacation and our trip for Renesmee's birthday. She suggested that we hold it in the house, like Edward and Bella. She already has ideas on what flowers to use, what gown Tanya's going to wear as maid of honor. And Edward, please be a dear and play the piano for us. Eleazar will escort me, of course. And Renesmee's my little flower girl. It's going to be perfect. Oh, I should take a picture of my ring and send it to her." Kate said without stopping, only giggling every mid-sentence.

"Good luck," Emmett whispered to Garrett, and Rosalie threw a pillow at him.

Garrett walked towards Kate and wrapped his arms around her waist and looked her in the eyes, "I don't need any more luck. I already got lucky when I met you."

I couldn't help but smile. My sister had found the half of her heart.


	7. Captured

**Disclaimer:**

**Characters based on Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga. **

When the Cullens left, the house became quiet. It was great to have them around; at least I didn't feel so left out. Carmen had Eleazar and now Kate had Garrett. I felt like a fifth wheel. I hunted mostly by myself or if I went with any pair, I would excuse myself and head back alone. It was not long before Kate noticed my behavior.

"Tanya, are you okay?" Kate asked and I nodded.

"You've been so quiet since the Cullens left."

"It just felt so quiet without them and I missed playing with Renesmee. It was nice to play with a little girl," I answered.

"I have been selfish, haven't I? I didn't even think that you'd be lonely," Kate whispered.

"What are you talking about? You guys are here, nobody left, I'm not alone."

"Yes, you are. I should have thought of you before I said 'yes' to Garrett."

I hugged Kate, "Are you crazy? You don't want to lose a great catch like Garrett. Stop worrying about me, I'll be fine. You said that it would take time and I have time." I squeezed her shoulder, "Sorry if I acted like a sore loser when I'm with you guys."

"I should be more considerate," Kate said as she leaned her head on my shoulder.

"You're in love; you have no time to be considerate," I joked and she laughed.

--

Alice kept in touch with Kate to discuss some of the wedding preparation. Instead of September, they agreed to bump up the wedding to August to give Kate and Garrett a month's getaway before Renesmee's birthday. Kate was ever so grateful with Alice's planning skills and became more excited about her upcoming wedding.

Months quickly passed and August came. We drove down to Forks for the wedding. The door opened and Alice greeted us with open arms, "You're here."

"It's great to see you!" we quickly hugged.

"Tanya, go upstairs. Your dress is on my bed, try it on. We'll be there in a few," Alice instructed.

"Aren't you even going to let them settle down?" I heard Jasper asked before I closed the door.

The dress laid out on the bed was beautiful; it was a copper/bronze dress with wheat colored sash. It hugged on all the right places, accentuating my body. I was still admiring how it looked on me when Alice opened the door, "Oh, look at you, it fits!"

"Amazing. How did you know my size?" I asked while checking out myself on the mirror.

"I used Bella as my model then I altered it just a tad bit." Alice pulled out three dresses from the closet and handed them to Bella and Rosalie while she took hers. "Put it on so we could show Kate the dresses. Tanya, the shoes are underneath the bed." I handed them their shoes and we walked down the stairs. With the look on Kate's face, I knew she loved it.

We changed out of the dresses and headed back. Renesmee was napping and I went to her side. She was drained from the excitement but Rosalie said she would be wide awake in no time.

Kate and Alice left quickly to get Kate's wedding dress. I thought Alice would pick that first, but it would be hard to get one without the exact size. With Alice's party planning skills, nothing was hard or impossible.

--

Time flew and finally Kate's big day was at hand. "Finally!" Kate screamed as soon as the sun rose the next morning.

"Someone's excited to get married," Carmen smiled as we all laughed.

"I have never been married before so this is all new to me. Alice, are they going to be here on time?" Her voice suddenly cracked; she was nervous.

"Relax, Kate, the wedding is not until six tonight."

"Can you please check, just to make sure?" Kate asked Alice to tap into her vision.

"Chill, Kate." Alice closed her eyes, "everything's going to be fine."

"I'm getting married…I'm getting married…" Kate started singing and grabbed my hand to dance with her. No way was I doing this alone, so I grabbed Alice who then grabbed Carmen and Rosalie. Esme and Bella made their escape to the kitchen.

The flowers were delivered and with everyone's help, all the preparation was finished in no time. We changed to our dresses and our two non-vampire guests arrived, Jacob and Seth. Edward, Carlisle, Emmett, Jasper, Eleazar and Garrett arrived from the cottage in their suits.

Everyone settled around the house. All the women were upstairs with Kate. She was yet to wear her gown.

"This is it. Are you ready?" I asked my sister. She smiled and nodded.

I hugged her, "Oh, Kate, I'm so happy for you!"

"No drama yet, ladies, and Tanya, you'll ruin both your make up!" Alice exclaimed as she shooed me to the other room.

At six o'clock, Edward sat on the piano and started playing. Alice came down the stairs followed by Bella and Rosalie. I came down the steps followed by Renesmee who was escorted by Carmen and Esme. After we all reached our place, Eleazar opened the door from Carlisle office to lead Kate. None of us have seen her dress except for Alice who picked it out with her. She's wearing an ivory low v-neck floor length gown.

"She's beautiful," Garrett gasped. He was looking at her adoringly. I knew that Garrett was deeply in love with my sister and when I saw how he looked at Kate, I knew Kate found her forever happiness. After Eleazar handed Kate to Garrett, he stood beside him. No other man witnessed how Garrett and Kate's romance bloomed aside from Eleazar. It was just right that he became the best man. Carlisle presided the wedding. It was short but the emotion between Garrett and Kate was beyond words.

Since most of us didn't need to eat, the dancing started as soon as the ceremony was over. I decided not to dance with Edward. It would bring back unwanted memories. I dance with Seth most of the time since he had no partner.

When the time came for the bouquet toss, Kate walked up to me and handed me the flowers, "You'll be next."

"Is that my cue to find me a man?" I asked and everyone laughed.

Jacob and Seth stood up in the center to catch the garter from Garrett.

When Garrett threw the garter, Edward glared at Jacob and said, "Don't you dare catch that, mutt."

Jacob got distracted and Seth grabbed the garter, "Don't worry, Edward. I got you covered."

I stood beside Seth and joked, "If only you're a little older. Oh well." We both laughed.

Jacob and Seth left. Not long after, the newlyweds made their exit and the wedding fever high subsided.

--

The month quickly passed. Kate and Garrett arrived the day before Renesmee's birthday party.

"So, how was the honeymoon?" I asked my sister.

"It was bliss," Kate smiled and squeezed Garrett's hand.

"I bet it was," I smiled and hugged both of them.

"I really hope you find someone special," Kate said.

"In time, sister, in time. But for now, you better prepare yourself from honeymoon event ambush." I turned to Garrett, "I'm sure Emmett is dying to know what you were up to." The three of us laughed.

--

The morning of Renesmee's birthday, we helped Alice finish the decorations around the house. The guys helped set up the seating outside.

Carlisle called Eleazar, Carmen, Kate, Garrett and I, "As you know, we have human friends coming by. They know about you but we think it would be better if you do not meet each other during the party. I know the humans would not have any problem with you as some of them you've seen in Edward's wedding, but I'm not sure about the werewolves."

"We understand, Carlisle. It's time we go hunting anyway. We'll just head up north," Eleazar answered.

"Thank you, my friend."

"What time could we come back?" I asked.

"We told them the party is between three in the afternoon and seven at night. After seven, it should be safe for you to come back," Carlisle answered. We all nodded and headed out.

--

As expected, Eleazar walked hand in hand with Carmen, as did Kate and Garrett. Kate grabbed my hand and I walked with her and Garrett. I appreciated her gesture. Kate made sure I was not out of place. However, when we started to hunt, the pairs started to separate and I was left by myself. I slowed down before and quickly fell behind. It wouldn't be long before Kate would notice my absence. I could easily protect myself from any impending danger; Kate didn't have to worry about me. I was sure she would understand.

I saw an elk wandering around the forest. I waited for a minute or so before I attacked. I drained it in no time. I stood up and slowly walked around. I climbed up a tree, sat on a branch and took in view. I sat there and waited for time to pass. I could see Garrett and Kate from one area; Eleazar and Carmen on the opposite. I envied both of the pairs. I wished I could find someone. I didn't mind being alone before but since Garrett came into Kate's life, I felt another pang in my heart. I lost Edward to Bella; Carmen and Eleazar joined our family together; Irina had Laurent for a little time and now Kate found Garrett. It felt like the world of love decided to leave me on the sidelines.

I tried to think other things, anything but my love life, or the lack thereof. I remembered how Irina, Kate and I compared the guys we flirted with when we went to town. We've thought of changing some men to be our partners, but after we gave up on human blood, none of us thought we would be strong enough to stop once we bit them. I thought of our 'mother,' Sasha. She changed all three of us and we were happy together. _I don't need a man to be happy_, I thought to myself. _I just need my family and friends_. Yes, my family who paired up already. How about friends like Rosalie and Alice? Then I thought they had Emmett and Jasper; it would still make me feel like a fifth wheel. Being single sucked.

My brain got tired thinking of other things. No matter what I thought of, it would always come down to having someone special. I would just give myself a headache. I looked at my watch and it was a little past five. I looked over the horizon and saw the others. It didn't look like any of them had any plan of heading back just yet as it was still pretty early. I climbed down from the tree and headed back to the house. I decided to walk instead of running; it would take longer to get there. It took me good two hours from before I reached the house.

Time was a bit past seven; it should be safe to go inside. I looked around to make sure there was no one left. I sniffed and it smelled like a wet dog. _Jacob_, I thought. I walked to the front door and was about to reach for the knob when the door opened. I looked up and saw someone standing in front of me; someone I had never seen before.

I didn't know what took over me, but my body refused to move. He was looking straight to my eyes and I couldn't take my eyes off him either. I held my breath, for how long I couldn't remember. I was glad I didn't need to breathe or I would have passed out. He was pretty tall and his body built; he shared a lot of characteristics with Jacob and Seth but his eyes bore on me in a way I couldn't explain. I never met anyone who had this effect on me before, not even Edward.

I stood there for who knew how long. I heard Bella's voice from the background, "Embry, this is Tanya. Tanya, this is Embry. May I suggest we all get seated in the living room?" Embry. His name is Embry. It sounded beautiful to my ears.

He extended his hand and I reached for it. When he put my hand on his lips, I shivered. "Pleased to meet you," he said. I was too dazed to say anything. Before I knew it, I was seated on the sofa. I had no idea how I got there; all I cared about was that he was still holding my hand. I didn't know anything about this man who was holding my hand aside from his name, but I knew, right then and there, my heart, my mind, my being was captured.


	8. Imprint

A/N: If you have read my story **Life Goes On, **this part is from the chapter Imprinting.

**Disclaimer:**

**Characters based on Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga. **

(Embry POV)

There was more discussion around us, but I was focused on Tanya. Her hand looked small against my hand; her pale skin illuminated against my dark skin. How could two opposites be a perfect much?

Jacob tapped my shoulder, "Let's go." I got up and let Tanya outside. Jacob nodded towards the back seat. I guided Tanya to the back seat and I sat with her. I held her hand all the way.

"Embry, I'm happy for you. Whatever happens, just so you know, you have my support. They may not understand, but I do." Jacob said.

"Thanks, Jake, it means a lot."

With that, we both fell silent.

--

Jacob parked the car in front of Old Quil's house. I felt Tanya's tension as she gripped my hand tighter. I kissed her hand again, "It'll be fine." I knew deep down that it would not be fine but I couldn't bring myself to tell her that.

I opened the door and helped her out. I kept Tanya closer to me since Paul, Jared, Seth and Leah looked like they intended to jump on each other.

"Is everyone here?" Jacob asked Quil.

"We're just waiting for Sam. He's on his way," Quil answered as he opened the door.

Quil nodded his head as I entered the house with Tanya.

I sat beside Tanya, across the Elders. I patted Tanya's hand before I let go. I wanted to keep holding her hand but I did not want to disrespect the Elders. I looked at their eyes; none of them showed any expression. I looked at Tanya; her head was down. I wanted to lift her face and tell her everything would be okay, but I how true would my words be? At this moment, all we could do was wait for the Elders to speak.

--

"Who wants to start?" Billy asked.

"No offense, Dr. Cullen," Sam said as he turned to Billy, Sue and Old Quil, "but I don't understand why the Cullens have to be here. This is tribe business."

"I know your part of the elders now Sam, part of the 'decision' making, but remember Tanya is our kind; she's family. What concerns her, concerns us," Edward answered in unfriendly tone.

"This is not the time for arguments," Sue interjected.

"They've seen each other before, when we were in the clearing with the Volturi. Doesn't imprinting work on first sight?" Jacob asked.

"I was just about to ask the same thing," Bella said.

Old Quil cleared his throat before he spoke, "Was Embry ever in human form during that time?" They talked as if I was not there. I wanted to speak, but to my better judgment, I remained silent.

"No, he'd always been in wolf form," Jacob answered.

"Do you think that has something to do with it?" Billy asked Old Quil.

Old Quil looked deep in thought. He cleared his throat and began to speak, "When in wolf form, the brothers and, in the case now, sister, are all connected. One mind, one decision. What one of them sees, everyone sees. They can read each other's minds and their connection is strong no matter how far one is from the others. This binds the brotherhood together.

"When in human form, one's mind is his own. None of our kind imprinted when they were in wolf form. Imagine if one imprints as a wolf, is it truly his mind or is it one of the others? It had always been in human form as his decision is his own; he is free from the connection from his pack. This could have been the reason why Embry did not imprint on this young lady when he first saw her.

"You must understand, at the time, most of our history was based on what they have experienced in the past. For example, there was never a female werewolf until Leah. Now, we don't know if any will follow her transformation. Same thing with imprinting, it had always been in our tribe. We've never encountered anything like this, imprinting beyond our tribe, our kind, until Jacob. It could have been because this is the only time that our kind befriends yours. We don't know if the next generation of our kind will imprint on your kind or outside our tribe in the future."

"But I thought that imprinting is for the wolf bloodline to continue. Tanya's a vampire and…," Jacob asked.

"That's what I thought, too," Leah interrupted as she stepped inside the house and stood by the door. "I thought I was not imprinted on because my body is of a shape-shifter, not good for bearing children."

"Please, Leah, this has nothing to do with you," Edward said.

"Leah, this discussion is between the elders and the Cullens. Let's leave it at that. We would appreciate it that you don't eavesdrop and interrupt," Sam snarled.

"Don't let guilt eat you up, Sam," Leah's voice was angry. I heard her walk away and the door slam behind her.

Tanya put her face on her hands. She was sobbing although no tears fell from her eyes. I felt her pain; I felt her sorrow. I wrapped my arms around her.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. I held her tighter and rubbed her shoulder. This was all I could do to comfort her.

"Tanya can't bear a child; her body is not capable of doing so. We are not sure about Renesmee either. If bearing children is the reason for imprinting, it doesn't make sense," Dr. Cullen said.

"We've all thought that that was the reason for imprinting. Most definitely, it was important for Jacob, Sam and Quil as our tribe leaders' blood flows through them; Black, Uley and Ateara. It is crucial for our tribe's protection to preserve that bloodline. As for the others, it may not be the case. What if imprinting is done not only for extension of bloodline; what if it also entails companionship?

"Jacob has both Black and Ateara in his blood; it is inevitable for him to pass the genes, so maybe Nessie will bear children, we don't now. Embry is part Makah, not pure Quileute. What if the wolf blood stops with him? It could be that unlike the descendents of the tribe leaders, he has nothing to pass on. Maybe he imprinted on an immortal because he is last of his line and meant to be around forever. Maybe he is to remain a protector of this tribe, not his descendants.

"Werewolves have a choice to stop phasing, like what Sam has decided on. They may plan to settle down and grow old with their imprints. What if Embry and Jacob are meant to stay for a longer period? For all we know, Embry and Jacob might have ended up being the Alpha of their own packs for that reason. Both Alpha, imprinting on immortals," Billy explained.

"Do you think the same goes for Leah? I mean, do you think she'll imprint for companionship?" Edward asked.

"Leah is a unique member of the pack. There was never a female werewolf in our tribe's history. All we can do is to wait for anything to happen," Old Quil answered.

This was too much to information to process. How were these things going to help me when I tell the pack that I imprinted on a vampire, on our sworn enemy? "Where does this leave us?" I asked. There were so many things that I had to think about; my pack, my imprint, our treaty with the Cullens, the reception of the pack when they find out.

"Tanya can stay in our house. You're always welcome to visit her there. I'm not sure the same goes for her here," Carlisle answered.

I was grateful for this generosity to let my imprint stay in their home and extended his invitation to me. At least it was one less thing to worry about. I looked at the Elders, "How do you think they'll take this?"

"I'll explain it to them. If they have a problem with it, we can call a meeting." Sam said. He got up and walked towards me and extended his hand, "Congratulations."

"Thanks, Sam," I said as I shook his hand. I could use all the help I could get.

"We should head back. The others might get worried," Carlisle stood up and shook the hands of everyone.

"I think it's better that I go with you," I said as I stood up, my arms still around Tanya.

"Do you think that's a good idea?" Sam asked Sue, Old Quil and Billy.

"He'll be a part of their family now, Sam. Let him talk to them," Billy said.

"I don't think it'll be a peaceful talk if Embry is there when you talk to his pack. Better talk to them soon. They'll hate to hear it from hearsay," Sue suggested. She was right. They might not even let me have a word.

When we stepped outside, Paul was not there anymore. "Couldn't take it anymore. He got pissed; he phased," Jared said. The problem had begun.

Leah walked towards Sam and extended her hand, "Sorry for interfering earlier. I won't say I'm sorry for eavesdropping. Now, I understand. No more hard feelings." Sam shook her hand. It was noble for her to do that. I never imagined Leah apologizing for acting the way she did.

"Can we come with you?" she asked the Cullens. Carlisle nodded. Leah sat on the front seat of the Rabbit while I slipped at the back seat, arm still wrapped around Tanya.

--

The drive was silent. Jacob looked at us through the rearview mirror. I nodded at him, reassured him that we were okay. Leah huffed and puffed on her seat. She might have forgiven Sam for not imprinting on her, but I wouldn't expect her to accept Tanya as my imprint. She was not happy when Jacob imprinted on Nessie, how much more with Tanya who was a full vampire?

--

When we arrived at the Cullens, the other family members were gathered outside. Tanya stiffened beside me. I tighten my arm around her but did not say anything. It was her family that needed to hear an explanation of what happened. I was not the right person so explain to them what happened.

"Why don't we all go inside and talk?" Carlisle waved everyone to get inside the house. Everyone was glaring at me; they stared at my arm that was wrapped around Tanya. I didn't loosen it and Tanya did not move.

We settled in the living room, some standing, some seated. "We've told the tribe what happened. They seemed to be fine with it, imprinting is involuntary after all," Jacob stated.

"The others still need to talk to Embry's pack. They will surely not like what had happened, Tanya being vampire and all," Carlisle spoke this time. "For the mean time, Tanya can stay here until this is all settled." He looked at the Denalis, "You are welcome to extend your stay, of course."

Five additional vampires in Forks? "I don't think that's a good idea," I said. "It's one thing that I imprinted on our sworn enemy; it's another that she brought extra four with her." I looked at Tanya's family, "I'm sorry. I don't have a problem with any of you; I can't say the same goes for the others."

"But this is absurd, we can't leave without her, she's family!" a female exclaimed.

"Kate…" the male beside her held on her shoulders.

"Garrett, you don't understand, she's my sister; we've been together forever. Either she goes home with us or we all stay. Our lives shouldn't be dictated by some dogs' nonsense!" Dog? That was below the belt. Jacob, Seth and Leah shared my sentiments; they all glared at this Kate.

"Kate, I'm afraid that the young man is right, we can't all stay here. As they told us earlier, the treaty of the tribe is with the Cullens, not with others," another man said.

"What if we split for now?" Rosalie suggested.

"What do you mean?" the other woman asked.

"We are scheduled to fly back to Hanover in a couple of days, but Emmett and I could stay behind to be with Tanya, so you could go back to your home." Rosalie explained.

"What if we don't go back there anymore? We can transfer to the State University here," Bella asked.

"Bella's right; we can stay here while this is all settled," Esme agreed.

I felt Tanya shifted. "No, I can't let you separate yourselves from your family or put your lives on hold for my sake," her voice was shaking.

"Tanya's right. Garrett and I will stay here while you go back to Hanover. Eleazar and Carmen can go back to Alaska. Do you think that's fine, dog?" the woman named Kate asked me.

"Please don't call him that," Tanya defended me. I never thought any woman would do that for my behalf aside from my mother.

I rubbed her back, "Shhh, it's okay. I think it should be okay as long as you will keep the Cullens' side of the treaty and stay away from the 'border'."

"We told Embry that he's welcome in this home if he wants to visit Tanya," Carlisle informed Tanya's family.

"Understood," the man named Garrett answered.

"Then, it's settled. Carmen and I will leave for Alaska on the day after tomorrow while you go back to Hanover," Eleazar said. They nodded in agreement.

"We should head back to La Push. It's getting late," Jacob said and looked at me.

"I'll run home," I simply said and they left.

--

Everyone around us went upstairs. I was glad for a little privacy. I hadn't had a chance to talk to Tanya since I set my eyes on her. I lifted her chin, "Under the circumstances, I want you to know that I am not sorry that I imprinted on you."

She smiled, "Me neither. But I don't understand. We don't even know each other; we just met a few hours ago. Why does it feel like we are two pieces of a puzzle that fits?"

"I don't have an answer for you. All I know is that since I imprinted on you, you are meant to be my soul mate. I hope you're not disappointed that you waited for decades just to be with a dog."

She chuckled, "You're quite adorable for a dog, so it's okay."

"Adorable? Now, I really do sound like a pup. Well, I know all men who've seen you told you this already, but I want so say it anyway, you are beautiful."

"You're sweet, Embry."

"Thanks, just one of my best qualities." I winked at her, and then I thought of my pack. "I hate to leave, but I should get going. I'll bet my tail that they can't wait to jump and beat the crap out of me."

"Do you think Jacob will help just in case it comes down to that?"

"I'm just kidding, Tanya. I might get snarled at but nobody's going to take me down."

We both stood up and walked towards the door. I stepped outside the porch and Tanya slightly closed the door behind her. "Take care," she said.

I held her hand and looked at her eyes as I brought her hand to my lips. I touched her face so I could remember every detail. "Good night, Tanya." I breathed in her scent and reluctantly let go of her hand.

I walked towards the wood. I could feel her eyes on my back; she waited until I was engulfed by the shadows of the forest. I stood behind a tree and watched her go back into the house. My pack might kill me tonight once they found out I imprinted on a vampire. But sharing a short moment with her, it already felt like I had died and gone to heaven.


	9. Restless Night

**Disclaimer:**

**Characters based on Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga. **

(Embry POV)

I walked a bit farther to the forest. I needed to clear my mind before I phased. I wanted to know if any member of my packed were in wolf form; I needed to know what they were thinking before they recognize my presence in their minds. Clearing my head was not an easy task, though. How could I easily take her off my mind when I still savored the sensation that lingered in my hand?

I breathed in and out a couple of times before I took off my clothes and phased. I listened intently for the thoughts of others and I only heard two: Jared and Paul.

_Phase back, Paul. Sam's pissed off already. He already talked to the others. They're just waiting for us._

_Why should I listen to him? He's not my Alpha anymore. And speaking of Alpha, of all people, why did he imprint on a vampire?_

_It's involuntary and you know it. Now phase back!_

_No! I don't take orders from you nor Sam!_

_Stop this, Paul!_

_Or what, Jared? You'll bite my head off? _

_Enough of this,_ I finally exposed my presence.

_Well, well, well, if it wasn't our famous leech-loving Alpha_, Paul said.

_I said enough Paul. Jared, phase back and tell Sam we're on our way_, I instructed Jared.

_Are you sure you'll be okay?_ Jared asked with much concern. Paul had always been hot-headed and always resumed to fighting to settle things.

_Go, Jared._ After a minute or so, I couldn't hear Jared anymore.

_Phase back now, Paul. We need to talk to the others properly._

_Make me._

_Don't do this, Paul._

_What are you going to do about it, huh? _

I never wanted to use my Alpha status but Paul left me no choice. _PHASE BACK, PAUL. I MEAN IT!_ I heard Paul whimper and heard a few leaves rustled. I calmed myself down and phased back. I put on my clothes and headed to the bonfire.

--

I heard snarls and growls when I came into view. Paul had his head down; Quil and Jared had understanding look on their eyes. I wished all of them were in wolf form when I arrived; at least that way I could read their minds and knew what to expect.

Sam cleared his throat and everyone looked at him, "As I mentioned earlier, Embry imprinted on Tanya, a friend of the Cullens. She is a vampire, but like the Cullens, she only feeds on animals. She is no threat to our kind." He then looked at me when he continued, "However, Embry, everyone felt that she should not be allowed in La Push. Although she's no threat to us like the Cullens, a precaution is better. That's a decision voted on earlier in your absence."

I nodded my head, "I understand, Sam." It was reasonable for them to still feel threatened as they never loosen up with the Cullens.

"But isn't this a conflict of interest?" Collin asked. We all looked at him, puzzled about his question. He continued his inquiry, "We're werewolves. It's one thing that some of us became friends with them, it's another that someone, especially the Alpha, to imprint on vampires. We're supposed to protect humans from them. Won't Embry's imprinting bring harm to our kind?"

I glared at him but did not say anything. I wasn't here earlier. They might have discussed something earlier that I did not hear. Sam answered him, "How could Tanya post any more threat if she's not even allowed to come in La Push? As for other humans, I assume that Embry would take on the responsibility of making sure that she doesn't slip. Am I right?" He turned to me once again.

"That's right, Sam. And for the record, if she slips up, I will take action. There would be no need to remind me my responsibility." I knew deep down inside that it would be hard for me to put into action what I said, but I could not turn back on my duty as a protector of humans against her kind.

"Now that has been cleared, is there any question?" Sam asked. Everyone shook their heads. "Embry, is there anything else that you want to add?"

"Just one. Please remember that imprinting is involuntary; it was not my choice to imprint on a vampire, just like Jacob did not intend to imprint on Nessie. I don't expect for any of you to accept Tanya as most of you still have not accepted Nessie. All I need from you is your understanding," I said to everyone. Everyone got up from their seats and headed to their homes. Quil, Jared and Janus stayed.

"Congratulations, Embry," they said and patted me on the back. I thanked them. Jared and Janus left.

Quil waited for everyone to be out hearing distance, "I know it's going to be hard, but remember that I'm here."

"Thanks, Quil. What was discussed earlier?"

"Sam told them that you imprinted. All got curious then when Sam told them that she's a vampire, all hell broke lose. Raleigh and Daniel threatened to quit the pack; Collin and Brady said that you cant be an Alpha anymore because you became, and I quote, 'a leech-lover.' Sam got really pissed. He said who are they to question the power of imprinting and the decision of the elders to accept Tanya. They were going to argue back when Sue wheeled Billy to the group."

"They were here?" I asked. I thought Sam would handle everything on his own.

"Sue was just about to drop off Billy to their house but they heard the argument. After Sue and Billy set them straight and reminded them that Sam is now and elder, they shut up."

"Was Paul here earlier in the meeting?"

"No. Billy told Jared to follow Paul. I was surprised when he showed up without Paul. He said that you're talking to him. Another set of argument was about to start when Sam glared at everyone. No one started."

"This is going to be one heck of a mess, isn't it?"

"Expect the worst, that's what I could tell you, but they will come around. It's just too much to process."

Quil was right; it was too much for the pack. Just months ago, their alpha decided to stop phasing and the replacement was not even a part of their pack. Then after that, their alpha of less than a year imprinted on a vampire. "I hope they come around sooner than later."

"On a lighter note, she's a beauty," Quil teased.

"She's a vampire. I think they are all supposed to be beautiful," I said.

"You got lucky; she's an adult. I have to wait more than ten years." We both laughed. We said our good nights and both headed home.

--

I lied on my bed, tossed and turned. My body was tired, but my mind was beyond rest. Every time I closed my eyes, I could see the details of her face; her beautiful topaz eyes; her pale beautiful face; her strawberry blond hair that moved with the breeze. I could still smell her floral scent.

I didn't know when I fell asleep and for how long. I felt my body jerk up at the first sign of sunrise. I jumped off the bed and took a shower. My mom was surprised to see me up so early.

"I, uh, am meeting up with Jacob. They'll be leaving in two days for the east coast and I wanted to spend a day with him," I lied. I was not ready yet to introduce my mother to my 'soul mate.' She was still in the dark of what I really was; how could I introduce her to a vampire without jeopardizing her life?

"You should eat before you go," my mom said as she put a plate of eggs and bacon on the table.

"How could I resist?" my mouth watered just looking at the food on the table. For that couple of minutes, my mind was diverted from Tanya.

--

After I ate, I ran to Jacob's house.

"Good morning, Billy," I greeted.

"You're up early," Billy said with a smile on his face.

"Yeah, well, Jacob said he's going to the Cullens early; I don't want to be late."

"He's in the shower; he should be done in a few minutes."

I nodded and waited outside. I closed my eyes and just like last night, Tanya occupied my thoughts. I couldn't wait to see her today and spend hours just talking to her. I was in this thought when I felt someone tap my shoulder. I opened my eyes and saw that Leah and Seth arrived. Usually I would hear if anyone was nearby, but I was too engulfed with the thoughts of Tanya that I didn't even hear my surroundings.

"Hey guys," I greeted them.

"Thinking of her?" Seth asked. I nodded.

"Your eyes looked tired. Did you get any sleep?" Leah asked.

"Not much," I answered.

"Embry's in love," Seth teased putting his hands to his chest. I heard three people laughed. I looked behind me and Jacob was standing the door.

"Shut up and let's go," I grunted and walked towards Jacob's car. They were still laughing when we loaded the car.

--

As soon as we got to the Cullens, I could feel my insides in frenzy with anticipation to see her again. Leah went to help Esme; Seth joined the guys and Jacob joined the ladies playing with Renesmee. Tanya was in that group so I decided to join them.

I looked at her from time to time. I was working up the courage to ask her to go outside so we could spend some time alone. After what felt like an eternity, I got up. I walked over to Tanya and extended my hand, "Walk with me?" She looked at me at first before she took my hand to my relief. I helped her got up and we walked towards the back door without looking back. Kate said something but I was too entranced with Tanya's presence beside me that I didn't hear what she said.

--

We walked towards the forest hand in hand. I was glad that she was not bothered by the contrast of our temperature. We walked in silence until we reached the edge of the clearing. I let go of her hand so she could sit herself down on the ground.

"How was your night?" I asked. It was the first time any of us spoke since we left the house.

"It was okay. I don't sleep," she replied. "How was yours?"

"Restless. You were in my thoughts," I said with a smile.

She looked down, "I'm sorry." Why did I say that I was restless? It was a good restless.

I lifted her chin, "Don't be sorry, it was worth it. I couldn't bring myself to sleep; I was worried that I might wake up from a good dream. I wanted to remember every detail of you." She smiled.

We were silent again; it was a bit awkward. I decided to make our introductions formal.

"I never really get to introduce myself. My name's Embry Call." I extended my hand and she laughed. She shook my hand and I continued, "As you already know, I'm a werewolf, although not controlled by the moon. I shifted, uhm, just a little over two years ago. I became an alpha earlier this year and then I met you. That's pretty much how my boring life goes. How about you?"

"My name's Tanya. I had been a vampire for decades. I was turned around the same time as Kate and Irina by Sasha, who treated us as her daughters." I flinched at the mention of Irina. I remembered her from our meeting with the Volturi last year. I was glad that she was not looking at me and did not notice me flinched. "We live in Alaska and had been friends with the Cullens for a long time. As you already know, I don't eat human blood, although I used to. It took a lot of discipline, but it eased up my conscience. It made me feel less of a monster."

"You're not a monster, Tanya. Please don't think of yourself like that."

"I killed humans before, Embry. Just because I don't do it anymore doesn't clean the slate."

"But your remorse does." I felt her pain again and I did the only thing I knew that could ease up her pain, I wrapped my arm around her and she leaned her head on my shoulder. We sat like that for hours. From time to time, we asked each other random questions, but for the most part, we just sat in silence.

--

"We should head back before they start a search committee," Tanya joked. I didn't want to, but she was right. We both got up and held hands. We took our time walking back and got to the house when the sun already set.

Before we opened the back door, I smelled food and heard my stomach growled. "I kept you from your meal," Tanya said.

"Never apologize for any time I spent with you," I told her and she smiled.

"Either ways, you should eat," Tanya lightly pushed me when I opened the door for her. I went straight to the kitchen and ate. My stomach readily thanked me for the fill.

After eating dinner, Jacob got up. "We should get going and finish packing. We have an early day tomorrow."

"I'll join you in a minute," I said. Jacob shrugged and headed out behind his pack. He knew that I meant to run home.

I took Tanya's hand and walked by the door. I led Tanya to the porch and closed the door behind us.

"Are you coming by tomorrow?" she asked.

"I'll be here everyday until you shoo me away." Tanya smiled and looked down.

Just like I did earlier, I lifted her chin, "Don't hide your beautiful face. With that, I have something to dream about tonight."

She smiled once more, "Good night, Embry."

"Good night, Tanya. See you in my dreams." I held her face with both my hands. I wanted to kiss her lips but I didn't want to force myself to her that quickly. I set a kiss on her forehead before heading to the forest. I was up for another restless night.


	10. Kiss

**Disclaimer: **

**Characters based on Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. **

(Embry POV)

_I was walking hand in hand with her, the most beautiful girl in the face of the earth. We stopped at the edge of the clearing like the day before. She sat down and asked me to lie down. I placed my head on her lap and she caressed my hair. I was too lost in her eyes that nothing mattered. Not long after, she leaned down and we both closed our eyes. She leaned closer and I felt her lips on mine. "Embry," I heard her say but she sounded different; it was too masculine. I opened my eyes and saw Jacob's face on top of mine._

"What the…" I jumped off my bed.

"Easy. I was just waking you up. You said you wanted to go to the Cullens," Jacob said sleepily.

"Sorry. I was having a good dream," I said as I headed to the bathroom.

"Just hurry up; we'll wait for you in the car." I heard Jacob left closed the front door. I rushed in getting ready; I couldn't wait to see Tanya again. The hours away from her felt too long. I wanted to wrap my arms around her and maybe have my dream come true.

--

We got to the Cullens around six in the morning. Jacob, Leah and Seth were all half-asleep while I was full of energy. I was looking forward to spending another day with Tanya.

"Morning," Jacob said groggily. Seth and Leah went straight to the sofa and closed their eyes.

I, on the other hand, was fully awake with a smile on my face, "Good Morning."

"Embry, do you mind driving by yourself or wait here? We've asked Kate, Tanya and Garrett to drop us to the airport. I'm afraid that we're all packed," Esme asked with concern.

"Don't worry about it, Esme. I'll just wait here," I answered politely.

Carlisle assigned the passenger to their drivers and cars and they started loading.

"Are you going to be okay by yourself for a couple of hours?" Jacob asked.

"Don't worry about me. Be safe and I'll talk to you later," I answered and shook his hand.

Before Tanya left the house, I made sure to catch her first. "Take care and I'll see you in a couple of hours." She nodded and smiled.

--

I sat on the sofa while waiting for Tanya, Kate and Garrett to come back. I must have dozed off because the next thing I knew, someone was tapping my shoulder. I opened my eyes to see Garrett. "Good morning, bro," he greeted.

"Hey," I said and looked around.

Kate must have noticed me looking around because she said, "She's in the kitchen making coffee for you. She bought some pastries on our way back."

"Thanks," I said and got up. When I entered the kitchen, Tanya was pouring water in the coffee maker. She already plated the Danish that she bought. I waited until she placed the pot in the coffee maker before making any sound. I didn't want to startle her and break anything of the Cullen's.

"You didn't have to do that, you know. You should have woken me up so I could prepare my own breakfast," I said and she looked up.

"You looked so peaceful; I didn't want to wake you."

"You're an angel," I smiled at her and she smiled back. I started eating the pastry.

After a couple of minutes, he grabbed a cup for the coffee. "Do you want creamer and sugar on your coffee or do you drink black?"

"Black, thanks. Aren't you going to join me?" I asked.

"I don't eat."

"I know that. I just want your company at the table."

"Of course." She poured coffee on the cup and brought it on the table. "Here's your coffee."

"You really didn't have to do this, Tanya. I went here to see you, not be served," I said while I reached for her hand.

"Well, don't get used it then," she joked. "So, what are we going to do today?"

"Whatever you want. I just want to see you," I told her. She rolled her eyes. I laughed.

After I finished eating, I washed the cup and the plate. We went to the living room and saw Kate and Garrett watching TV. "What do you guys normally do?" I asked.

They looked at each other. "Normally, we just waste days reading, watching TV or whatever we could think of," Garrett said.

"Do you have any plans for today?" I asked. I wanted to spend time knowing Tanya's family.

"Just watch TV until we get bored. Then maybe play some video games," Garrett said.

"What do you have in mind?" Kate asked.

"Nothing. I just wanted to spend time with you guys."

"Us or Tanya?" Kate teased and Garrett laughed.

"Stop it, Kate," Tanya said. If she could, she would be blushing now. That was a sight I would have loved to see but wouldn't.

"Can we visit your place then?" Garrett asked and my face fell.

"I'm sorry, but we can't go there. I was instructed specifically not to let any of you in La Push. They are not happy with our, uhm, situation," I said to them and looked at Tanya on the last part of my explanation.

"Oh," Tanya said. "Well, uhm, I guess I'll just read some books upstairs." She went upstairs and left me with Kate and Garrett.

"Very nice, Embry," Kate snarled.

"I didn't mean it to come out like that," I defended.

"Is that how they really reacted when they found out that you, what was that called?" Garrett asked.

"Imprinted," Kate said.

"Yeah, that. How did they react when they found you imprinted on Tanya?"

"My pack was pissed. We shifted because we're the protectors of humans from your kind. Put yourselves in their shoes, you would have the same reaction. I was specifically instructed not to let her near our town," I explained.

"How come Carlisle and the others were allowed to go there?" Kate asked.

"Special circumstances," my short answer provided a much needed explanation. Garrett and Kate nodded.

I looked upstairs at the closed door of the library. "Just go up there," Kate said and I did.

--

When I entered the library, Tanya was standing by the window. I knew she heard me but she didn't turn around to see who came in. I walked up to her and looked outside. "It's a nice view," I said. She left my side and grabbed a book from the shelf. She sat down on the chair on the other side of the room.

I sighed and walked towards her. She didn't look up when I stood in front of her. I kneeled down and rested my chin on her knees. She put her book down and finally looked at me, "What do you want?"

"I want to apologize. I should have told you what happened when my pack found out I imprinted on you."

She closed the book, set it on her lap and crossed her arms on her chest, "I'm listening."

"Do I have to stay kneeling down like this?" I joked to lighten up the mood. She laughed lightly and shook her head. I got up and extended my hand to her like I did yesterday, "Walk with me?" She placed the book on the side table and took my hand.

We went downstairs; Kate and Garrett saw us but did not say anything. We walked towards the back door and continued in silence until we reached the edge of the clearing. We sat down and faced each other. I was lost in her eyes and I just sat there.

"You were going to tell me something," Tanya broke my trance.

"Yes, you're right," I said. I breathed in her scent to relax myself before I started. "Sam talked to the pack when we left that night. To say that they were not happy was an understatement. They were furious. One even said that it's a conflict of interest. Our kind exists because of your kind. We're the protectors of human," I saw her shift. She was not happy with this assumption. "I know that your family and the Cullens are no threat to humans, but not everyone in our tribe share the same sentiment. Because of that, they voted that you should not be allowed in La Push." I stopped and looked down the clearing. I couldn't bring myself to say the other part of the condition.

"Just spit it out, Embry," she said.

"Spit what out?"

"Whatever you need to say."

"That obvious, huh?" I asked and she nodded. I closed my eyes before I continued, "The Cullens promised to feed on the animal blood only. They are not to hurt any human, not just kill; they can't bite." I opened my eyes and looked at her, "I promised that if you slip up, I will take immediate action myself. It's my responsibility as an Alpha."

"Oh," Tanya said and bit her lip. It was her turn to look away, "I guess I better not slip up, then." She tried to joke about it, but I heard her sob.

I scooted closer to her and wrapped my arms around her, "Shhh. I know you're not going to slip up. You're stronger than that." She leaned her head to my shoulder and wrapped her arm around me.

"Thanks for the faith," she sobbed.

We stayed like that for a while. None of us wanted to say anything that might ruin the perfect moment, but my stomach had other ideas.

"Sorry, it's a wolf thing," I said and I helped her got up.

"Maybe next time we go here, we should pack some food for you," she said and I smiled. She was planning on spending more time with me.

"That's a good idea."

We walked back to the house arms wrapped around each other.

--

The next few days became a routine. I would arrive at their house in the morning after I ate breakfast at my house since my mom hated me leaving without any food in my stomach. As soon as I arrived, we would pack some food for me and head to the clearing were we spend hours talking about anything and everything. Sometimes she would attempt to cook dinner for me, but nothing beyond a simple stew. We would say our goodbyes and I would kiss her on the forehead. As much as I wanted to kiss her lips, I didn't want to push her.

I only left Tanya early on nights that I was assigned to patrol the border. If I was not on patrol, I would stay with her until almost midnight or until my eyes couldn't stay open any more. I would have loved to stay with her all night but I didn't want to give my mom anything to worry about. It was bad enough that every other four nights, I would leave the house for overnight patrol.

Quil and Jared picked on me every time I went home late. They were the only two who accepted that I imprinted on a vampire.

"How's it going?" Quil asked me one night.

"Good."

"That's all we're going to get? Good? You suck at sharing," Jared joked.

"We just talk all day," I said. It really was the only thing we do; either we talk when we were in the clearing or while we watched TV or while we read books at the Cullen's library. I must have read more books in the last few days than the time I spent in school.

"You're slow," Quil said and the three of us laughed.

"Did you kiss her yet? And don't give us the hand or the forehead crap," Jared said.

I shook my head, "When do you know if you're at that stage?"

"Can't help you with that," Quil laughed and we joined him.

"You'll just feel it when it's time," Jared said.

--

A/N: So the title of the chapter might have thrown you off. I called this KISS because it started and ended with a thought of the kiss.

roserose – I know you wanted them to kiss already, but you'll have to wait :D


	11. Patrol

**Disclaimer: **

**Characters based on Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. **

(Embry POV)

This day was just like any other, except for Jared's morning visit.

"Hey, lover boy," he greeted. I laughed but shushed him. My mom was just in the kitchen and I wouldn't want her to hear our conversation. She didn't know I was seeing a girl because I couldn't introduce Tanya to her. She was not allowed to come to La Push and how would I explain her extra beauty and cold hands to my mother.

"What's up?"

"Kim invited me over for a house party and it would go on all night. I was wondering if you could switch patrol duties tonight. I was going to ask Paul but he just patrolled last night, and Quil's babysitting Claire. I'll patrol for you tomorrow."

"Sure, no problem."

"Thanks, Embry. I'll tell Bruce and Kyle that you're going with them tonight. I owe you one," Jared said and left.

--

Tanya was waiting for me in the clearing. We decided to meet there instead of the house. The forecast was supposed to be sunny and Tanya wanted to show me something.

"Good morning," I greeted her.

"How'd you sleep?" she asked.

"Peaceful," I said as I sat beside her. "What's in the menu?"

"I brought a loaf of bread, salami and mayonnaise pockets. I put the soda in the freezer last night so it's still iced."

"Perfect. So what is it that you wanted to show me?"

"Hmmm, well, uhm, you said you haven't seen the Cullens under direct sunlight, right?" she asked. I was confused with her question.

"Yeah, I haven't."

"Well, don't freak out, okay?" She then looked up. The clouds were slowly moving.

"Wait!" I got worried when I saw her waiting for the sun. "You're not going to turn to dust, are you?" She laughed at my question. "What's funny?"

"Do you think I would want to turn to dust?"

"No, I guess not. So, why are you waiting for the sun?"

"Our skin sparkles under direct sunlight," she explained. As soon as she said that, the sun peeked from the clouds. Sunlight touched the side of her face. Half of her face sparkled while the other half stayed the same. I brought my hand up to caress the sparkling side of her face. It was warm because of the sun but felt like her regular skin. She closed her eyes.

"Amazing," I whispered. She leaned her face to my hand and smiled. The cloud that was blocking the sun moved and the sun was in its full glory, and so was Tanya. Her whole face, neck, arms and legs were sparkling.

"Wow," was all I could say as I took in the amazing view in front of me. She opened her eyes and looked at me.

"You're not scared?"

"Scared? I thought you were so beautiful before, but now it just shows that you are much more than that." I ran my other hand down her arms. She closed her eyes again but the smile never left her face. We just sat there and I stared at her until the sun was once again blocked by the clouds.

I ate the sandwich that she fixed for me and I lied on her lap. She ran her fingers to my hair.

"This is so relaxing. I could stay like this forever," I said as I closed my eyes.

"Take a nap, Embry. I'm not going anywhere." I felt asleep on her lap.

--

I didn't know how many hours passed. When I opened my eyes, Tanya wasn't there. What time was it already? I didn't know how long I was asleep and Tanya wasn't around. I looked around for a couple of minutes until I heard twigs snapped.

"Tanya?" I asked and she came to view.

"I didn't know you're awake. I tried to come back as soon as I could but it took me a while before I could find something to…" she cut off herself. She was not comfortable talking about her diet with me.

"What time is it?" I asked.

"I don't know. Let me check," she fished out her cell phone from her pocket. "Don't worry; it's just 10:47. You're patrol is not until tomorrow night so I didn't wake you."

"Oh no!" I panicked and rushed taking off my shirt.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Jared traded patrol assignment this morning. I should have been back there an hour ago. I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow," I kissed her on the forehead and ran to the forest and shifted.

--

_Bruce? Kyle?_

_Where have you been?_ It was Paul.

_I lost track of time, sorry. You can go home now, Paul._

_Jared asked you a simple favor, Embry. Just one night, that's all he asked and you agreed. _

_I said I was sorry, Paul. I lost track of time. This was not my regular schedule._

_You should have asked someone to remind you, then. You were just out there spending time with your leech._

_Don't call her that, you jerk! _

_Or what, Embry? You're going to bite my head off? You're starting to turn like them._

_Shut up, Paul._

_Break it up, guys. _Bruce said.

_Stay out of this, Bruce. _Paul snarled.

_Chill, Paul._

_Chill? You want me to chill? You were unsupervised for a whole freaking hour. Not a few minutes, an hour. What if something happened?_

_But nothing happened, Paul. _Kyle said.

_Why are you defending him? It's one thing if he was just a regular member of the pack like us. But no, he's the freaking Alpha. His pack and his tribe should be his priority! _

_Paul…_ Bruce was about to say something but I cut him off.

_Bruce, Kyle, Paul's right. I'm at fault here. I should have been here on time. There was no excuse._

I heard Paul huff and left. I shook my head. This was bad, really, really bad.

--

The next morning, I called Tanya.

"_Hello?"_

"Garrett, it's Embry. Can I talk to her?"

"_Sure." _ I heard some shuffling noise then her voice came out of the receiver, _"Embry, what time are you going to be here?"_ she asked with a happy tone.

"I'm not coming this morning, sorry. I'll try to see if I could come by this afternoon."

"_Is everything all right?"_ I heard her concern.

"We're having an emergency meeting later."

"_Is this about last night?"_

"I have to go. I'll talk to you later." I hung up. I didn't want to tell her that Paul asked the Elders to hold a meeting to talk about what happened last night.

--

The meeting was held in Sam's backyard.

"Well, looks who's on time," Paul said when he saw me.

"Paul," Sam said and shook his head.

"Whatever," Paul grunted. I sat between Quil and Jared.

"Sorry, man. It was my fault," I told Jared. He just shrugged.

One by one, the pack members arrived. When everyone was settled, Billy called the meeting to order.

"What happened last night?" he asked.

It was Paul who answered, "It was Jared's group's turn to patrol. A few minutes after ten last night, Bruce knocked on my door asking if I knew where Embry was. I said he's probably at the…" He stopped when Billy raised his hand.

"Bruce, why don't you and Paul have the conversation you had last night."

"Okay," Bruce agreed. "Paul, do you know where Embry is?"

"He's probably at the leeches." I glared at Paul, but he didn't care, "Why?"

"Jared said this morning that Embry's covering for him tonight."

"What time is it?"

"Quarter past ten. He's already fifteen minutes late."

"Where's Kyle?"

"He's patrolling. We decided it's better for one of us remain in patrol while I ask around where Embry is."

"Dammit, Bruce. Never leave anyone in patrol alone. You should always be at least in pairs. What if something happens to him? Let's go." Paul finished the conversation, "And then I shifted."

"You didn't ask Bruce or the others to get Embry?" Sue asked.

"No. I was more concerned of Kyle's and Bruce's safety. I don't have time to waste to look for our M.I.A. Alpha."

"What happened last night, Embry?" Old Quil asked.

"I fell asleep on the clearing. I lost track of time."

"Tanya didn't wake you?" Sam asked.

"She's knows my regular schedule. I didn't tell her Jared switched assignments with me yesterday."

"Has this happened before? Anybody ever been late?" Billy asked everyone. They all shook their heads.

"This was the first time, Billy. I'm the only one who's ever been late," I admitted.

"If this is the first offense and nothing happened last night, we would let it go without consequence," Billy said. Old Quil, Sue and Sam nodded their heads in agreement.

"But he's the Alpha. He should be setting example, not the one breaking the rules!" Collin exclaimed and the others agreed.

"Collin's right. If it's one of us, I'm sure we would be reprimanded!" Daniel said.

"We should pick a new Alpha," Raleigh said.

"Yeah," the others said.

"And who do you think should be the new Alpha?" Sam asked.

"Paul?" "Jared?" "Brady?" "Collin?" "Bruce?" Everyone answered at the same time.

"Quil," I said with a loud voice.

"Of course, pick your best friend!" Collin growled and I glared at him.

"You want to know why I picked him?" I snapped at Collin. "The leaders of the patrolling assignments are Jared, Paul and Quil; I picked them because they are the oldest werewolves in this pack. Among them, Quil has the strongest bloodline, or did you already forget our history? Black, Uley and Ateara. Jacob's not here, Sam already stopped phasing. Quil's the last." I looked at the others, "In case you forgot, Paul and Jared already turned it down the first time Sam asked them."

"Well, it's different now." "Who cares what you think, you screwed up." "Why should anyone listen to you?" "Who asked you anyway?" Everyone exclaimed.

"Silence!" Old Quil said. His voice was not as loud as Sam's nor Billy's but it was distinct and powerful that everyone fell silent. "This is a pack; it should not be divided like this." Everyone mumble sorry here and there. "Embry is to remain the Alpha of this pack. Quil is to take over if Embry failed to perform his responsibilities for the pack and the tribe. This is the decision of the Elders. If you do not agree, you are to bring it to the Elder's attention. Anybody else has any concern?" Everyone shook their heads. "Meeting dismissed," Old Quil ended the meeting.

--

"Jared," I called him after we left Sam's.

"Yeah?"

"Sorry about last night. It was my fault."

"I'm not going to say it's okay, Embry, because it's not. But I understand; we've gotten so used to our schedule that it was hard to make a sudden change. I almost ran back when I saw it was 9:30 last night. Good thing I told Kim that I asked you to cover for me. When she saw I was panicking, she reminded me that I was off. You should tell Tanya whenever our schedule change; it helps to have someone else to remind us."

"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks, Jared. And don't worry about tonight, I'll run the patrol."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. It's the least I could do for screwing up."

"Okay. Later," Jared said and walked towards his house.

--

I called Tanya for the second time today.

"_Hello?"_

"Tanya?"

"_Embry! I've been worried sick. What's going on? What happened in the meeting?"_

"I'll tell you tomorrow. I just called to let you know I won't make it there today after all. I'm running the patrol later."

"_But you already did last night."_

"I was late, remember? I'll explain everything tomorrow."

"_Are you sure you're alright?"_

"Everything's fine, don't worry, okay?"

"_Okay."_

"Bye." I hang up with a heavy heart. This would be the first day since I imprinted on her that I wouldn't be able to hold her in my arms.


	12. Lost

**Disclaimer: **

**Characters based on Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. **

(Embry POV)

The next day couldn't come any sooner. I wanted to see Tanya; one day without her felt like a limb was torn from me. I ran as fast as I could then phase as soon as I saw the Cullen's house.

When I entered the house, there was no sign of Kate and Garrett. They must have gone hunting. Tanya was seated on the sofa in the living room. I knew that I could never surprise her with her vampire hearing and she could smell me from afar.

"Good morning, Embry," she turned her head and greeted me with a smile.

"Good morning, Tanya," I bowed my head. We looked at each other for a few seconds before we succumbed to missing each other. She got up and practically ran to my open arms. I held her tight in my embrace. "I missed you."

"It was your fault, you know. What happened yesterday?"

"Did they go hunting?" I asked referring to Kate and Garrett. She nodded. I led her to the porch and we sat down the steps.

"Are you going to tell me what happened last night or am I going to keep worrying myself that I put you in trouble?"

I looked at her and held her hand, "What happened last night was not your fault, so don't worry yourself with anything."

"What happened then?" she asked.

"I told you I was supposed to patrol the other night. Jared switched with me but I totally forgot. I should've told you so you could have reminded me, but I was so certain that I would not forget. I didn't want you to think that I wanted to cut the time I spend with you. When I didn't come home in time for the patrol, Bruce went to Paul's house and asked where I was. Paul found out that I was late and lead the patrol himself until I got back. He was mad that I was late."

"Did anything happen?" she inquired.

"No," I simply answered.

"Then what's the big deal?"

"Those are kids, Tanya. They still need to be supervised. If there was any danger, they might not stand a chance," I answered.

"But nothing happened, Embry. Why should it be such a big issue?"

"I'm the Alpha, Tanya; they are my responsibility. I made a mistake and should be reprimanded."

"So what's going to happen now?"

"Yesterday morning, a meeting was held in Sam's house. Paul told the Elders what happened and the pack was upset as you can imagine. They wanted to throw me off as Alpha." I heard Tanya gasped but I continued, "Old Quil silenced everyone. He said that we shouldn't be divided and since it was first offense, I would not be reprimanded but it was a warning. The others got mad since I was the Alpha; they felt that I should be making an example, not the one breaking the rules. I understood their point and I recommended Quil to take my place, but Old Quil will not hear of it. I was to remain Alpha since it was first offense and if anything should happen again, then Quil will be the new Alpha."

"Are you going to be okay?" she asked full of concern.

"I think so. I decided to run the patrol last night since it was my fault that I was late in the patrol the night before. It was just fair."

"Are things back to normal in the tribe?"

"Not so much; there's still some bickering from the others but they will get over it. I was just worried about Paul because he's the one who got really mad."

"Do you think he'll do something?"

"I doubt it. Even he's always have a bad temper; he always followed the rules of the pack."

"Are you going to stay here until midnight or are you planning to head back home early?" she asked.

"I'll phase around ten just to make sure that everything is in order. If everyone's fine, I'll stay until midnight."

"Good because I really missed you yesterday," Tanya said with a sweet smile.

"I missed you, too. I never thought that I will miss your freezing temperature," I teased and she laughed.

--

The next few days, our routine slowly went back in place. Every other four nights, I would leave Tanya early to make it back in time for my patrol. On the nights that I was off, I would phase a few minutes after ten to make sure that everything was in order.

I was glad that everything was back to normal. The other members of the pack went back to talking to me. Unfortunately for Paul, he was not the type to easily let go and he would not have anything to do with me.

A few weeks after the conflict between the pack and I, Collin called for a meeting. None of us knew why he called a meeting without first asking me. He went straight to the Elders.

"Embry, are you aware of Collin's concern?" Sue asked as soon as everyone was gathered in Sam's house.

"No. I was surprised that he called for this meeting without first confiding with me," I answered while glaring at Collin who didn't seem fazed by my reaction.

"What is this about, Collin?" Billy asked.

"I think that Embry should not be spending most of his time in the other side of the town," Collin said with emphasis on the word other.

"Where I spend most of my time is none of you business, Collin."

"I could care less of what you do with your own personal time, but yesterday, Brady wanted to take time off from patrol and wanted to ask you about it but you're not here so he had no choice but to stay."

"His team leader is Quil; he should have asked him," I answered.

"And leave their patrol one wolf short?" Paul countered.

"Quil is an experienced werewolf, and so is Collin. If anything would happen, they could take care of themselves. And every night, I check on every team. If Quil is one wolf short, I could come back to fill in."

"Embry has a point. It would be a problem is the team leader is the one taking off, but not so much if it is one of the other members," Sam said.

"You check in with every team every night, Embry?" Billy asked.

"Yes, just a little after ten when they start the patrol just to make sure that everything goes without a hitch," I explained.

"Is there any other concern that you want to discuss in this meeting?" Old Quil asked everyone.

"Are we allowed to take some time off from patrolling?" Janus asked.

"Yes, you can take time off but only on a case by case basis and a replacement should be assigned to fill in for you. Am I right, Embry?" Billy said.

"That's right, Billy. You are free to ask for time off, but it should be in advance so I could work out a temporary rotation. Even though our tribe's safety is our first priority, you may take time off like I did when I visited my mom's family. The only issue that I could think of that I would not be able to grant a request is that if two or more wanted to take off at the same time," I explained.

"That sounds reasonable," Sue said and the other Elders agreed.

"Is there anything else?" Sam asked and when everyone shook their heads, the meeting was dismissed.

--

I went to Tanya after the meeting to vent.

"I can't believe that they are trying to make me stay around La Push for longer hours. I check on them every single night when I'm not there; I don't have to babysit them all the time."

"But isn't the pack your responsibility?" she asked.

"Yes, but they have their team leaders who could decide for them. It's not always have to be me."

"But you are the Alpha, you're the highest decision-maker."

"Why are you siding with them?"

"I am not taking sides, Embry. I'm just saying that they do have a point; your first concern is the safety of La Push and the pack."

"But there's nothing out there; there's no threat," I was starting to raise my voice. "Collin just hated the fact that I was not overthrown and still subjected to my rules."

"Did you change anything?"

"No, but the mere fact that I was still the Alpha already pisses him off. And I spending most of my time away from La Push was being used against me."

"Maybe you should split your time equally then," she suggested.

"Tanya, are you pushing me away?" I accused her.

"I'm not pushing you away, Embry. I'm just saying that maybe spending most part of your day here is taking a toll on your responsibilities as an Alpha," she tried to explain.

"You have no idea what being an Alpha entails so don't think that you would understand! I am capable of taking care of my pack as I am capable of managing my own time," I was losing control and before I knew what was happening, I phased.

Tanya gasped in shock. My clothes were shreds around me and I growled at her. I walked around her in circles as if I was cornering her. I phased in front of her because I was angry and couldn't control myself any longer. Yes, she was a strong vampire, but I knew how to fight and destroy her kind.

I dared look at her eyes and I saw something that I've never seen before. Fear. She was afraid of me.

I willed myself to calm down but the conversation we had kept on playing in my head. She was telling me how I should manage my time. She had no idea how hard it was for me to stay away from her and take care of my pack. It was hard that she's on the other side of town and I couldn't bring her near La Push because of what she was. No, she didn't understand how hard it was for me that I imprinted on a vampire.

Then it hit me. I had only thought of myself, how hard it was for me, but I never asked her how it was for her. It must be hard for her that I would always have to leave her side at night because I needed to go back to La Push and be with my tribe. Even if I wanted to bring her, even if she wanted to come with me, I knew that it would never be possible.

I knew I had to run away from her for now. I needed to calm myself down so I could phase back. The defensive side of me wouldn't let my body relax. Although I wanted to stay and tell her how sorry I was, Edward was not here to convey my thoughts to her, so I ran.

I went to the clearing and tried to relax myself. I reminded myself of the times we shared in this place. The conversation we had when we were getting to know each other, especially the day that she showed me how she sparkled under the sun. Slowly my body relaxed, then I remembered my clothes were in shreds so I ran to La Push and snuck in our house to put on some clothes.

--

I practiced over and over again how I would apologize to Tanya. I should have not lost my temper like that; I should have controlled my emotions. She was not pushing me away, she was not controlling me. She just wanted to make sure that there was no conflict between me and my pack. She was right; the pack and my tribe should be my first priority, but there should be no reason for her to come in second. She was equally important to me.

When I got to the Cullen's house, Garrett and Kate were standing at the porch. When I came in to view, Garrett held on Kate as if trying to restrain her.

"Where is Tanya?" Kate shouted.

"She was here. I left her here a couple of hours ago. I, uh, we had a little misunderstanding. I came back to apologize."

"What did you do to her?" Kate snarled.

"I didn't do anything. Well, that's not entirely true. We were talking then we started arguing and I raised my voice. Before I knew what happened, I phased," I bowed my head on the last part of my statement.

"You what?" Kate growled and tried to escape from Garrett. "Let me go, Garrett, or I swear I will shock you!"

"Kate, please, that is not going to help in finding her." I snapped my head up with Garrett's statement.

"What do you mean finding her? She didn't tell you where she went?" I panicked.

"No, you dog! She just left a note saying that she needed time alone and not to follow her."

Pain washed through my body and I felt my knees weakened and I fell on the ground, "No…no…I have to find her." I looked up and pleaded to Kate and Garrett, "Please help me."

"Why should I help you? I thought you're her happiness. Tanya had always been strong of all the decades we've been together. She was never the one who runs away from a problem. But you, you made her weak; you brought her pain. No, I will not help you," Kate spat, escaped from Garrett's arms and entered the house.

"I'll see what I can do," Garrett said and followed his wife.

I was left kneeling on the ground. I lost her. I lost my shining star because I was stupid. I lost her because I was stubborn and did not listen to what she was saying. I lost her because I never put myself in her shoes. I lost her and now I felt myself lost.


	13. Sacrifice

**Disclaimer: **

**Characters based on Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. **

(Tanya POV)

Embry had another today. I hoped that this was nothing that would cause a stir in the pack. I felt that Embry was already having a hard time dealing with the fact that he imprinted on a vampire and him being an Alpha. Most of the pack didn't understand why he imprinted on me; we were on the same page on that one, but the Elders said it must have been for the sake of immortality and I had been playing that in my mind so that it would not bother me so much that they all hated me.

I was excited to here Embry coming. He was not far off; he was huffing. He must have run as a wolf to get here faster. I missed him every time he leaves at night and I hoped that the feeling were mutual. As soon as he appeared from the forest, I hugged him to show that I missed him but his reaction was a bit stiff. The meeting was once again not to his liking.

"I can't believe that they are trying to make me stay around La Push for longer hours. I check on them every single night when I'm not there; I don't have to babysit them all the time," he exclaimed.

"But isn't the pack your responsibility?" I asked in a mellow voice; I tried to calm him down.

"Yes, but they have their team leaders who could decide for them. It's not always have to be me."

"But you are the Alpha, you're the highest decision-maker."

"Why are you siding with them?" he snapped at me. I was surprised by his reaction. I was merely trying to make a point.

"I am not taking sides, Embry. I'm just saying that they do have a point; your first concern is the safety of La Push and the pack," I explained.

"But there's nothing out there; there's no threat. Collin just hated the fact that I was not overthrown and still subjected to my rules," he said with a raised voice. He never raised his voice on me and I was staring to worry..

"Did you change anything?" I asked him in a low-voice with hopes that he would cool down a bit.

"No, but the mere fact that I was still the Alpha already pisses him off. And I spending most of my time away from La Push was being used against me," he growled.

"Maybe you should split your time equally then," I suggested. Maybe the pack just needed to see more of him so that they wouldn't think that I was more of a priority over them

"Tanya, are you pushing me away?" he growled again.

"I'm not pushing you away, Embry. I'm just saying that maybe spending most part of your day here is taking a toll on your responsibilities as an Alpha," I tried to explain, but the look in his eyes told me that he would not listen to reason.

"You have no idea what being an Alpha entails so don't think that you would understand! I am capable of taking care of my pack as I am capable of managing my own time," he shouted then he did something that I had never seen him do; his body shook and his clothes ripped. Embry phased.

I gasped in shock. He told me before that they could control their phasing, but it was also controlled by strong emotions. He had been raising his voice and growled at me earlier that the anger consumed him. i tried to look at his eyes; I tried to reach out to him but he was circling around me as if ready to attack. He told me he knew how to fight our kind; he had his share of fighting newborn vampires and for the first time in my life, I was scared. It was one thing that my impending death was on the hands of the Volturi, but it never occurred to me that the man I was beginning to love would be overcome by hatred and plan to hurt me himself.

--

I didn't know how long I stood there while he was walking around me in circles before he took off. He ran as fast as he could away from me. I didn't know what he was thinking; I didn't know what he felt. All I knew was that he was furious with me, with his pack, with our situation. I didn't know what to do. I was partly glad that Kate and Garrett were not here because I wouldn't have any idea how to face them.

I slowly went inside the house with a heavy heart. I wanted to be with Embry; he was my happiness. I was empty for decades until I met him a few weeks ago. However, my happiness had a price. For me to be happy, Embry had to suffer the consequences. Since he imprinted on me, there was no total peace between him and his pack. I had been the reason why they couldn't settle their differences. I was the outsider and I knew I was the one to go.

I took a small bag from Alice's room and packed my stuff. If my kind could cry, my shirt would be drenched with tears. I pulled myself together enough to write a note for Kate so that she wouldn't worry when they got home without me in the house.

My undead heart was hurting. It hurt much more than it did when Edward married Bella. I thought that would be the worst pain I was to endure, but the thought of being away from Embry hurt so much that it burned. I walked back and forth and tried to convince myself to stay, but if I did, I knew that this argument with Embry would not be the last. It was just the beginning; it would never be over because we were so different; our kind would not find peace with theirs.

--

I grabbed a piece of paper in the kitchen and wrote a note for Kate. I wanted to tell her when I was going but I didn't even have half a clue what I wanted to do. I knew I should give myself some time to think.

_Kate,_

_I'm sorry to leave without telling you. I was partly glad that you weren't home when things happened. I know you don't understand at this very moment, but I'm leaving. Please don't try to find me. I needed time to be alone and think. I needed to find my own answers. _

_If Embry comes, please tell him not to look for me. I left so that he could be with his pack. I know you don't understand what's going on, but please, Kate, for the love you have for your sister, don't hurt him. It's not his fault. He didn't know that I planned to leave._

_I will go back home in Alaska when I'm ready to talk about what happened. I know you could track me as my trail would still be fresh after you read this letter, but sister, for now, please let me be._

_With Love,_

_Tanya_

I folded the paper and placed it in the middle of the coffee table in the leaving room. Kate and Garrett usually spent their time watching TV so I was sure that they would see my note. As soon as I placed it on the table, I left the house. They usually headed north when they hunt so I decided to go a different direction. I wanted to go to clearing first and savor the sweetest memory I had with Embry, but it might stop me from leaving Forks.

--

I ran for days, not really decided where to go. I stayed around Canada, further up north, but not going any closer to Alaska. I was not yet ready to face my family. By this time, Kate and Garrett might be there already. Knowing Kate, she probably tried to find me even though I said not to. She was always stubborn.

I spent most of my days up in the trees. I sat on branches and thought back of the memories I had with Embry. I knew we were both hurting for the decision I made; he must be beating himself up since I left, but I couldn't go back. I wouldn't go back. His pack should always come first. I was the outsider; I was the enemy and they would never accept me. He shouldn't suffer because of what I was. His leadership should not be judged because he imprinted on a vampire. No, I couldn't let them question his authority because of me.

I hunted more than necessary. Every time I thought of going back, I would go hunting to prevent me from changing my mind. I satiated my stomach with animal blood, but my heart remained empty. I knew Embry would the only solution to my aching heart. I would sacrifice my personal happiness if it means that there would be peace in their tribe. I would have his memories with me, memories I hope that would be enough for my immortal lifetime.

--

A/N: Short chapter just to let you know why Tanya decided to leave. Next chapter will be Embry's POV again.


	14. Beyond Repair

**Disclaimer: **

**Characters based on Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. **

(Embry POV)

Day after day, I went back to the Cullens with hopes that Tanya came back, but she never did. Kate and Garrett left the very next day Tanya did. Garrett assured me that he would inform me of any development about Tanya, but he advised not to keep my hopes up in the next few days. One thing he learned about Tanya was that she could be stubborn.

I was empty. I spent most of my days staring at the ceiling of my bedroom. I refused to get up unless my mom dragged me out of my bed. At night, I patrolled with each team, occupying the hours that I used to spend with Tanya. Each hour, each minute, each second, I could feel my heart being torn apart over and over again. Then the night would end, the sun would rise, and I would start the cycle all over again.

--

After a week or two, I received a letter. It was from her.

_Dear Embry,_

_I don't know anything to say that won't hurt both of us. We have gotten used to spending hours together and being apart from you like this hurts, but this is for the better. Both for you and for me. I want you to know that I didn't mean to cause you and your pack any problem. If I could take back what had happened between us, I wish you didn't imprint on me; it would have been easier. I'm sorry for hurting you by leaving, but please, do us both and your pack a favor, don't look for me. It's better this way._

_Please know that the memories of every minute I spent with you will always be in my heart. I don't know how long it would take for me to get over you, or if I ever will. At this point, I really don't know how to face eternity without you; I am trying to learn to live my life on my own again, a life without you. _

_Remember that my heart belongs to you, now and forever._

_With love,_

_Tanya_

I fell on my knees after reading the letter. I held it close to my heart and the tears fell from my eyes. I brought myself up and walked towards First Beach. I sat there with her letter clenched to my heart. I lost myself with the sight of the waves. Some of the members of the pack saw me but none of them bothered me; they must have seen the gloomy look on my face. Quil and Jared sat by me but did not say anything. We sat in silence until I was ready to lead the patrol for the night.

--

I stopped counting the days since the day I received Tanya's letter. I didn't see any reason to bother. All I knew was that my heart was slowly dying, breaking beyond repair. I did not rest and this was taking a toll in my body. Quil said I was catatonic and that the other members of the pack were starting to worry about me.

"When I wasn't around, they complained. Now that I am here all day and all night, they are not happy. How the hell am I supposed to please everyone?" I said with anger.

"They were just thinking about your health, bro. You lost some weight already and your eyes were deep and dark. Whatever you're doing is not healthy."

"What state do you expect me to be in? You think I should go back to the old lively Embry? I tried, Quil, I tried. I tried to think of happy moments in my life so that I could bring myself to at least smile, but my thoughts would just go back to the happy moments I had with her," my voice was starting to break. "Not long after that memory, I would remember how much I screwed up and I just end up beating myself up over and over again." I felt tears coming down from my eyes. I had cried each night, something I had never done for anything or anyone. I never wanted any of my pack to see me broken like this, but Quil was a friend.

"Man, I don't know what to say; I was never in your situation. Just imagining being away from Claire scares me," Quil patted my shoulder.

I straightened myself, "Just pray that it would never happen." I got up and wiped my tears, "I hope that this stays between us, Quil. I don't want the pack thinking they have a whimp for an Alpha." I tried to chuckle but it just got caught up in my throat.

"Don't worry about it," Quil said and left.

--

My unhealthy habits did not escape my mom's notice. "What is going on with you, Embry?" she asked.

"Nothing, mom," I answered.

"It's not nothing. You are practically a tall stick with clothes on. Why don't you tell me what is bothering you? You haven't been the same since that night that you came home crying," she said and my head snapped up. I thought she was sleeping when I got home. I tried to hide my cries on my pillow but I guess she knew me better than I thought.

"I can't mom," I told her. I wished every night that I could just tell my mom what I was and what Tanya was so that she would stop worrying about me.

"I just want you to please take care of yourself. I've never seen you this sad and it worries me. If you won't let me in, let Quil and your other friends help you."

I nodded at my mom. She was right; I shouldn't shut off my friends, but how could any of them tell me what to do. None of them have been through what I was going through. I never felt so lost and hopeless all my life. This was worse than the time that I couldn't tell Jacob and Quil that I phased. This was definitely much worse than that.

I had been debating on something but I didn't want to impose on him; he was living his life away from this, but I needed someone's advice from the outside, so I called him.

"_Hello?"_

"Hey, Jake."

"_Embry?"_

"Yeah, how are you?"

"_I'm good. I was going to ask you the same but with the sound of your voice, I don't think you're good."_

"That obvious, huh?"

"_So, what's going on? Are they giving you problems in the pack?"_

I mentioned to Jacob in my previous calls to him about the issues I had with the pack. He had been supportive of me and it was nice to hear that from another Alpha.

"Pack's fine. I, uh, I really don't know how to tell you this since it happen months ago," I started but couldn't finish.

"_Tell me what? What's going on Embry?"_ I could hear his concern and worry.

"She's gone; she left," was all I could say.

"_Tanya?"_ When I didn't answer, Jacob understood. _"What happened?"_

"We had a fight about the pack. They wanted me to be around more since I spent most of the day with Tanya and she said that maybe I should split my time equally. I felt as if she was pushing me away and then I…"I couldn't bring myself to continue.

"_You what, Embry?"_

"I started raising my voice then I lost it, I phased in front of her." I heard the phone drop and Jacob was swearing on the other line.

"_Sorry, I dropped the phone. You phased? Then what happened?"_

"I tried to calm myself down but my defenses wouldn't let me so I left. It took a couple of hours before I finally calmed down. I took some clothes from home, but when I came back, she's gone."

"_Why didn't you follow her?"_

"Kate said not to. Tanya left her a note, she needed time. She sent me a letter just a little over a month ago and told me not to look for her," I felt the tears back in my eyes. I tried to hold back, but I couldn't, "I don't know what to do anymore. Even mom was worried and I can't tell her anything. I just want to quit the pack and find her, you know. I could only take so much torture. I barely sleep at night and I barely eat. I just…I just…" I felt defeated.

"_Embry, listen. You have to find her; talk to dad and the others. Don't do this to yourself. How you lasted all these months is beyond me."_

"How about the pack?"

"_Let the damn pack take care of itself. There's no threat right now; there's a lot of able-bodied werewolves in La Push. You being gone for a couple of weeks or so wouldn't put them in a vulnerable situation. But you suffering like that and showing how weak you are will just cause more problems."_

"She said not to find her."

"_Answer me this. Can you continue living without her? By the sound of the situation, you're already dying."_

"I understand, Jacob. Thanks."

"_You just needed to hear it from someone else."_

"I need to go. I better talk to them soon."

"_Good luck."_

--

I went to Old Quil's house after I called Billy, Sue and Sam. I wanted Quil to be there as well so he would be aware of my decision.

"Is anything wrong, Embry?" Quil asked as he opened the door.

"Not really. I just needed to talk to the Elders," I said.

When the others arrived, I informed them of my decision. "I'm leaving tonight. I prolonged it enough; I'm going to look for Tanya. I don't know where and I don't know how long it would take, but I will not come back until I find her. I'll understand if you decide to replace me with Quil as the Alpha of the pack. I've already put the pack as my priority over my life, but I don't think I could last any longer not knowing where she is. I have to find her."

I looked around to see the reaction and decision of the Elders. I studied each of their expressions. They showed sympathy and understanding.

Old Quil spoke in behalf of everyone, "While you are looking for Tanya, Quil will take over your post. Sam will oversee the announcement of the temporary transition. There's no need for you to wait any longer before you set on your journey. Are you sure you want to do this alone? If you decide to take Quil, Jared will be the temporary Alpha."

"I think this is something I should do on my own. Thank you for your understanding and I will try to keep in touch as much as I can so it would not cause the pack any worry." I got up and shook everyone's hands.

I quickly left and went home. I needed to tell my mom I was leaving and I didn't know for how long. It would be harder to say goodbye to her as she didn't know where I was going and why I needed to do it. I had to keep her in the dark for her own protection. With tears on our eyes, I left the house.

As I was headed to cross the border, I phased to pick up speed. Not long after, I heard Quil in my head.

_Embry, are you sure you don't want me to come with you?_

_She's my imprint, Quil. I should go alone. Besides, it's best not to leave the pack with less protectors, and it's better that you stay. Don't leave Claire._

_Take care out there, okay?_

_I will. Thanks for being a friend, Quil. I will not phase back until I see her so if you want to talk to me, you know how to reach me._

_See you soon, bro._

With that last note, my head went quiet. He must have phased back and left me to my thoughts.

--

A/N: Comments? Review??


	15. Empty

**Disclaimer: **

**Characters based on Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. **

(Tanya POV)

It must be sometime around mid-December now. I saw the humans busy putting their lights on the roof of their homes. I rarely go to town, only when I needed new set of clothes. Running around the forest ruined most of my clothes and since I only brought a small backpack with me, I didn't have many clothes, much more good shoes.

I was jealous of everyone that I saw. They looked so happy and content with their lives while I was hurting inside. Although I brought this to myself, I still found it hard to deal with my life on a day to day basis. I constantly thought of Embry, and most of the time, I wished that I could at least sleep and put my mind to rest. However, deep down, I knew that if by some miracle I felt asleep, Embry would be in my dreams.

I thought of my family in Alaska and how much I missed them. I was certain that Kate and Garrett would have gone back already and told Eleazar and Carmen what had happened between Embry and me. I just hoped that they were not blaming Embry; it was my choice to leave. I did not ask him nor did I plan to even meet him again.

I slowly made my way back to my old home. I would just tell them that I was not ready to talk about what happened. I would not be ready to talk about it for a very long time, but I decided that I shouldn't worry my family any longer.

--

The sight of our house brought a jolt of happiness in me. It would not be the same, that I knew, but at least it would bring some peace in me. It was hard to carry burden both of the man I love and the family I belonged to.

When I got closer, I saw Kate and Garrett sulking on the porch. I called out to her, "Kate!"

Her head snapped up and ran to me, "Tanya! Where have you been?"

I saw Eleazar, Carmen and Garrett ran up to me as well. "I just needed time by myself," I said.

"Look at you, when was the last time you went hunting?" Carmen asked. I haven't hunted for three weeks already and I was sure that my eyes were almost black and had deep color around my eyes.

"I just wanted to get home as soon as possible," I said so that my family would not worry about me any further than they did.

"Let's go inside so you could clean up," Eleazar said.

--

After I cleaned up, I decided it was high time I went hunting.

"Would like some company?" Kate asked.

"Sure, Kate, I haven't talked to you for ages," I smiled weakly. I didn't really want any company but I couldn't say no to the somber look of my sister.

"We'll be back in a couple of hours," Kate kissed Garrett and we headed out.

We traveled north in silence. I knew she was eager to talk about what I had been up to the past months that I went missing. She kept opening and closing her mouth, but I decided not to say anything. I would answer if they asked anything, but I would not volunteer any information. I was broken enough whenever I thought about Embry, I didn't want to have a breakdown in front of my family.

After a few minutes or so, Kate finally broke our silence, "So, where did you go?"

"Just here and there, wherever my feet take me," I answered. "I did not have any direction in my travel as long as it took me away from Washington State. Just being in the state boundaries felt to me that I was too close to him."

"Why didn't you even call? We were so worried," she said.

"I know and I'm sorry. I just wanted some time for myself and it was really hard in the beginning. There were days that I would just sit in one cave and sob for days. I know you would want to talk about it, but I just wasn't ready."

"Are you ready now?" she asked. I looked at her and saw the sincerity in her eyes.

"As much as I wanted to say yes, I'm still not ready. I don't think I'll ever be ready," I said with a sad voice.

"This is worse than Edward, isn't it?"

"Hundred times worse; with Edward, it was just one way. With Embry, it was both ways; he felt for me what I felt for him."

"Did you contact him at all?"

"I sent him a letter asking him not to look for me. It's for the best," I answered?

"Is it really? Is it really for the best?" Kate asked and I looked at her. I opened my mouth to counter that yes it was the best, but I couldn't bring myself to say so. "Look at you, Tanya," she said, "You are not yourself."

"I will be fine in time, Kate. I couldn't just ignore the pain inside. It took me a while to let Edward go before and he wasn't even mine. Don't expect me to let go of Embry any time soon." I stopped on my tracks. The thought of letting Embry go once again created another hole in my dead heart. I inhaled and tried to steady my voice; I didn't want Kate to hear my voice breaking, "This is for the best for both of us; he'll finally have peace with his pack. He wouldn't need to defend himself for imprinting on a vampire. It was enough that he had the responsibility of leading them. I would not burden him any longer of the complication of our relationship."

"You might have fooled yourself with that speech, Tanya, but I know you too well. You're hurting and don't you even compare this with Edward. You have never looked at him the way you looked at Embry. I was there, Tanya, I could tell the difference. Just at least try to talk to him, work things…" I cut Kate off.

"No, Kate, I will not complicate his life anymore. I've caused enough damage," I said.

"At what expense, Tanya? At the expense of you being broken apart like this? You found your happiness with him. Please stop being stubborn and talk to him," Kate pleaded.

I didn't want to hear any more of this conversation. "I thought you came with me to haunt, not to lecture me about my love life. If you'll keep talking about Embry, I think it's better that I hunt alone." I was about to start running but Kate held me arm.

"Sorry, I was thinking about you. Let's hunt," she said and we ran together. She did not bring him up in our conversation any more.

--

Few days after I got back, the phone rang. Kate answered and it was the Cullens. I signaled Kate not to say what was going on but since she answered the phone, they already figured out that we're back.

"_Why are you guys there? Is everything okay in Forks?"_

"Everything's fine. Don't worry about us. I think Tanya is still adjusting with the whole imprinting. She said she missed Alaska so we went back," Kate answered.

"_How long have you been back?" _Edward asked.

"We just came back last week," Kate lied. "I'll give the phone to Eleazar. Tanya's waiting for us."

She handed the phone to Eleazar and signaled him not to say anything. Whatever was going on in our family didn't need to cause any concern with the Cullens.

"_How is Tanya? How are things between her and Embry?" _

"Embry and Tanya are still trying to work things out. She's not here though; she's hunting; Kate and Garrett were heading out to meet up with her when you guys called. About your invitation, sorry that we can't fly over to be with you for the holidays. We want to spend time together. Things might be different next year, you know." Eleazar chuckled half-heartedly. He looked at us wearily.

"_We understand, Eleazar. As always, let us know if you can come and visit." _

We were relieved when they said their goodbye. "I really wished we didn't lie to them like that," Eleazar said.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have answered the phone in the first place," Kate said.

"Sorry for putting you in this situation. I knew it was wrong to come back he…" I didn't get a chance to finish because Carmen put her arm on my shoulder.

"We're glad your back, Tanya, we have been worried about you and if you want to keep this within our family, then that's what we will do," Carmen squeezed my shoulder.

"Thanks," I said and hugged her.

--

Garrett constantly asked me if I wanted to talk, but I always declined. The last thing I wanted to do was talk about Embry. It was enough that I was little by little crushing my own heart with the thought of him. I didn't think I could talk about him without breaking down.

I tried to busy myself watching TV or reading while listening to the radio. I hated silence or being idle because it was causing me to remember Embry and the hours we spent in the clearing, just seated together, not needing any words to be spoken.

From time to time, my family would try to lighten up my mood by reminding me the lovely holiday coming up, but I just couldn't bring myself to be joyous and I felt bad for pulling them down with me. I decided that until the holidays was over; I would just lock myself in my bedroom. I felt empty and I didn't want to drag my family to the feeling I was going through.

--

The New Year rolled in and we greeted one another. I was broken hearted that my sisters and brothers had their partners to share their new year's kiss with and I had myself and the illusion of Embry missing me. I kept reminding myself that it was for the better that I left; this was the only reason that stopped me from running back to Forks everyday.

Weeks passed since I got back to Alaska. Being back with my family did not help ease up the pain that I was feeling, but at least knowing that my family needed not to worry about me anymore gave some sort of relief.

One day, when I got home from hunting with Carmen and Kate, I saw Garrett hang up the phone.

"Who was that?" I asked.

He looked at Eleazar before the looked back at us, "It was Carlisle, just saying hi."

"Did he ask when we're going back to Forks?" Kate asked.

"No, he didn't. I guess they just assumed that we would be heading back soon," he said. He kept looking at Eleazar who just nodded. It seemed like they were hiding something but I didn't know what it could be. Garrett would not dare keep a secret from Kate; it was never wise to piss her off.

--

A/N: Sorry for the short chapter. I just wanted you to see what was going on with Tanya before I go back to Embry.


	16. Search

**Disclaimer: **

**Characters based on Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. **

(Embry POV)

I expected my first day away from La Push would be hard. This would be the first day I would be away from my friends, my mom, my tribe. I never went anywhere alone; I always had company. I never thought that a day would come that I would travel without anybody with me, but I knew it was for a good cause. Besides, it was my decision to leave on my own. I decided to look for her alone because it would also give me time to think of what to tell her as soon as I saw her.

Just thinking about her brought new waves of pain within me. I had been hurting for weeks, months even, and I thought it couldn't get any worse. I was wrong. Every day that passed not knowing where she was, how she was and if she would even talk to me shattered my emotions even more.

--

I didn't know exactly how I would start looking for her. I thought of going to Alaska, but her letter said that she wanted time alone. Since Kate and Garrett left the day after she did, I figured they went home and that would be the last place she would go back to. They would not give her the space she would need. I didn't think she would come home soon.

I ran up to north. I doubted that she would go south towards California where it would always be sunny. She was a vampire after all. She wouldn't want to draw attention to her by sparkling skin in the middle of the day. No, she must have gone north.

--

Quil had been true to his words. He shifted every night since I left and kept me updated about the pack.

We would talk to me for a minute or two. When I first left, the pack was surprised that I did not hold a meeting with them before my departure. Quil said that Sam told them that my decision did not come lightly and that I had prolonged this search long enough. It was weird how the pack seemed to readily accept my decision to look for my imprint, when in the beginning, they did not approve of me imprinting on her in the first place.

It made me wonder if the reception of my decision to look for her sooner would be the same. The pack saw the toll it took on my body from the moment she left. If they never saw the pain that continually lingered on my face, would they understand what I was going through? I thought not, but that was something that I shouldn't bring myself to worry about anymore. I was just glad that the pack finally acknowledged that once someone imprinted, everything would be about his imprint.

--

I had been searching for weeks. I had learned to hunt using my werewolf instinct and settled for raw food. It must have been like this when Jacob left the pack and lived on his own for a while. It took some getting used to but after the way I ignored my body, I needed to nourish it back to health. The taste was bad at first, but when hunger took over, the last thing I thought about was the taste.

From time to time, the pack would talk to me during their patrol and asked how I was doing or if I needed help. I would tell them exactly what I said to the others, "I'm fine, don't worry about me. You need to stay in La Push and protect the tribe. I can take care of myself, thanks for the concern." Every time we finished talking, I would always ask them to send my love to my mom. I was sad for leaving her, but thankful that Sue promised that she would visit her daily.

--

The scent changed in my surroundings. It started to smell like pine and cinnamon. It must be December and people were starting to put up their trees and heating up their apple cinnamon drinks. I would be missing the holidays with my friends and family and it saddened me. I always spent the holidays with my loved ones, but would it be the same if I were with them while my heart was with someone else?

I continued my journey north and was glad that my body had its own warmth. I doubted that if I was a normal human that I would survive this cold weather. Day and night I traveled with snow falling from the sky. Even when I slept at night, I had no shelter to keep me from the snow and my fur was my only shield from the cold weather and gusty winds.

In my journey, I lost track of time and days. I tried to count during the first week but not having paper and pen to jot down the days made me soon lost track of time. It was not until I heard my pack shouting in my head that I realized that Christmas arrived.

_Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! _They all greeted.

_Keep it down, you're giving me a headache_, I joked. _Who's out there?_

_We're all here. We decided to greet you before we go home to our respective homes for the holidays_, I recognized Quil's thought.

_Thanks, you guys. Means a lot! _ It really did. I was alone in a place I wasn't familiar with. I appreciated the small gesture from the pack. _Don't keep me from your families; send my regards to them and Happy Holidays to you all._

One by one, they said their goodbyes. There was only one left to yet bid his farewell.

_How are you doing?_ Jared asked.

_No progress yet, but I'm still looking. _

_Are you okay? I mean besides the fact that you still haven't found her? _

_I'm eating, Jared, if that's what you're worried about. I'm not like a walking zombie anymore. I think I gained some weight. _

_That's good to hear. We're all thinking about you here and just want to make sure that you're well. Like always, if you need any help or company, all you have to do is ask._

_You're starting to sound like Quil. Thanks for caring and tell the pack thanks again. _

_Will do. See you soon!_

--

Not long after the greeting from the pack for Christmas, the dark sky was filled with fireworks. The New Year rolled in, yet there was nothing new with me. I was still as alone and as miserable as I was last year. I still felt empty and incomplete.

I couldn't tell how far north I had traveled. I had searched the forests of western part of Canada over and over and there was no sign or scent of Tanya. I didn't know if I should head to the east or start heading to Oregon. Maybe I was wrong for searching north.

Not long after the New Year rolled in, Quil popped in my head much earlier before the patrol assignment started.

_Embry! Embry!_

_Quil?_

_Yeah, where are you?_

_Somewhere in Canada. Is everything okay?_

_Yes, don't worry about us here. That's not the reason I phased. Garrett called. He wanted to know how you were doing._

_What did you tell him?_

_That you were miserable and in pain and that you left to look for her weeks ago after being catatonic for a couple of months. I told him that you stopped taking care of yourself from the night that she left._

_What did he say?_

_That Tanya was no different. She's in Alaska, Embry._

My heart stopped. I have thought of her name over and over, but it being said out loud, or thought out loud for this matter, seemed to send shock through my being. Alaska, she went back to Alaska.

_Embry, are you alright? _I snapped back from my own thoughts.

_Yes, Quil, I'm alright. When did Garrett call?_

_Just a couple of minutes. He said that he promised to tell you as soon as he knew where Tanya was. He said she's been back in Denali for weeks now, but opted out on telling you because he didn't think she was ready to face you._

_How about now? Did Garrett say that she's ready to see me now? Did she know that Garrett called you? Was it her that asked Garrett to call?_

_No, she had no idea about the phone call. He said he waited for her, Kate and Carmen to leave before he made the call. He and Eleazar said that it was for the best that you know what's going on with her. Garrett said that Tanya's been sad, miserable and sulking since she got back. She was trying to put on a happy face, but Garrett said that it was just a front. She's miserable just like you, Embry, and that they couldn't bear looking at her that way anymore. Carmen and Kate refused to let any of them to call and tell you that Tanya was back so when the three of them left to hunt, Garrett and Eleazar debated and the urge to call won._

_Did he happen to tell you where exactly they live? I need to get there as soon as possible._

Quil gave me the direction that Garrett gave him. As soon as he started giving me the direction, I kicked the dirt with my limbs and starting running west towards Alaska. I owed Quil, Garrett and Eleazar for everything. I didn't know what Tanya's reaction would be once she saw me but at this point, I didn't care. I just needed to see her and I would go from there. I had no idea what I would say to her as soon as I stand before her, like I had no idea where to start searching for her. I would worry about that when I closed the distance between us. For now, my concentration was not to get hit by a car or fall on a cliff as I ran to Alaska.

--

A/N: Sorry for the short chapter, but since the meeting is going to be the turning point of the story; I decided to dedicate at least a whole chapter for that. I might switch POVs within the chapter, but that is yet to be decided. For now, please let me know what you think =D


	17. Familiar Scent

A/N: I am switching between POVs in this chapter to emphasize what they are both going through.

**Disclaimer: **

**Characters based on Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. **

(Tanya POV)

Garrett and Eleazar acted a bit strange since the night that I hunted with Kate and Carmen. They also did something they had never done before; they hunted together, just the two of them. Garrett and Eleazar were not big with male-bonding, but they had been spending too much time together lately. I didn't know what happened that night when we left the two of them to have our own girl-bonding, but I was glad that they grew closer.

Kate and Carmen continually asked me if I was really fine with everything that had happened and the time that passed did not really help me mend the broken heart that I forced to myself in the first place. Garrett and Eleazar never voiced out their opinion about my decision, although when they thought I was not paying attention, I could hear them whispering their concern to their partners.

I tried to hide my emotions from them, but I guessed that it was useless. Kate and I lived with each other for decades and she knew me inside and out. I didn't need to say anything; she could everything that was going on just by looking at me. I stopped talking about Embry since I got back although they were dying to know how I was feeling and if there was any attempt from my side to contact him at all in the future. Honestly, I didn't know if I could bring myself to open up to any of them. It was hard enough to face them every day; it was harder to see the unspoken concern in their eyes. Maybe it was really a mistake coming home after all.

--------------------

(Embry POV)

I had been running for days but I didn't feel like I was getting any closer. I wanted to push myself into running, not stopping until I was running out of breathe. I practically passed out each night. I hated being a werewolf in a time like this. Vampires didn't get tired and they could go on for days without eating. Me, on the other hand, not only needed rest, but had to take time to hunt for my big wolf appetite.

I was sure I was headed the right direction, but my journey seemed to take forever. When I finally reached Alaska, I stole some clothes and asked for the direction towards Denali. It took a while before I found someone who could help me find the place I was looking for.

When I was pointed to the right direction, I felt a lot closer to her and my heart was erratic. I was excited to finally see her again, yet I was overly nervous what our meeting would be like. I tried to put the thought back in my mind and I was successful when I was farther away. Now that I was finally in the path towards her home, my mind was restless.

It took another couple of days before I found the house. It was bright, much like the Cullens, although it was not as big. I phased back to human form and put on the clothes I stole a few miles back. I would never approve stealing, but I had no choice. After my restless journey, I had nothing but my fur.

I stood by the woods for what seemed like forever. I was pacing back and forth; I tried to put together a moving speech so that I could convince her to at least talk to me. Now that I was so close to her, close enough to touch her, it felt surreal. I wanted to make this right. I might not have another chance to talk to her; I had to make this right.

I took a couple of deep breaths before I walked towards the house. Her sweet scent was strong. She must be inside the house. Every step I took brought me closer to her; brought me closer to the woman who left with my heart months ago.

--

I saw shadows shifted around the house when I was a few steps away from the door. They must have heard and smelled my presence. I braced myself. I hoped that Garrett would keep a leash on his wife so that Kate wouldn't attack me. She almost did last time.

The door flung and she stood there. Tanya. She looked at me with disbelief; she looked surprised, mad, sad and confused all at the same time. It only lasted for a few seconds before she ran to the forest.

"TANYA!" I shouted. Not caring about the clothes I just put on or her family who were now gathered at the door, I phased and ran after her. I might lose her scent again and I wouldn't be able to bear it.

--

I pushed myself to run faster. Her scent was strong and if I could just kick up a notch, I could reach her. I had been exhausted and I didn't know how long I could last running after her. She was very fast and I was very tired. We had been running for miles and she wouldn't stop.

I tried to keep up but I couldn't any longer. My body betrayed me; I lost all the energy I had. I haven't rested nor eaten ever since a man directed me to Denali and all my strength vanished. I tried to run some more but after a few more miles, my body gave up. I whimpered, phased back to human form and passed out.

--------------------

(Tanya POV)

I felt my body stiffened. A familiar scent whiffed in my nose. I tried to convince myself that it was just my imagination but the scent was so strong that I couldn't deny it.

"Are you okay?" Kate asked. I couldn't answer.

Garrett put his hand on Kate's shoulder, "I think I know what's going on." Kate looked at him confused. He closed his eyes and inhaled, "Do you smell that?"

That confirmed that it wasn't just me who caught the scent. I ran to the door and opened it with force. If I pulled just a tad stronger, the hinges would break off. There he was standing a few feet from the door. He looked tired and weary. _What is he doing here?_ I asked myself but I couldn't bring myself to face him. I was starting to feel my conviction waver. I wanted to run to him and hug him and tell him how much I missed him but I knew that if I do so, we would be back where we started and it would just bring another wave of pain and sorrow between us. I did what I did last time. I ran.

"TANYA!" he called out but I didn't stop. I ran as fast as I could. I heard clothes ripped; he must have phased to run after me. I pushed myself to run faster. I knew he might reach me and I couldn't let that happen. I kept running without looking back.

I heard him huffed as he pushed himself to keep going. _Please just go back, Embry, please just go back_, I pleaded in my head. The steps behind me seemed to be farther away; he must be losing ground. I was glad; hopefully he would just give up and head back to La Push where he should be in the first place. After a minute or two, a loud whimper echoed through the forest followed by a thud on the ground. "Embry," I gasped and stopped on my tracks.

--

I debated with myself. A part of me wanted to go back and check if he was okay. The other part wanted to keep running away from him. I had this battle inside my head each day. Go back or keep running away? Knowing that he was just a few feet away made it worst. I could feel his pull in my whole being. _What if he was hurt?_ I asked myself. _That should teach him a lesson to just leave us alone. Maybe this time, he'll just give up and go back_, said the stronger part of me. _At least check if he's okay before you go_, my dead heart requested.

I got up and decided to check on him and just make sure that he would be okay. I still cared for him and the thought that he might have hurt himself was something I couldn't live with. I followed his scent and found him lying on the ground.

"Embry…" was all I could say. I took off my cardigan blazer and placed it on his naked torso. I sat on the ground and just looked at him. He looked tired; he lost some weight from the last time I saw him. He must have been looking for me for days or weeks or months even. I touched his face; it was wet. He must have been crying while running after me. My heart broke and my conviction shattered. I knew that I couldn't leave him, especially not in this state. I missed him too much that the thought of leaving hurts. I hugged him close and sobbed, "I'm so sorry, Embry."

After a minute or so, I composed myself. I scooped him up in my arms and walked back to the house. My family was gathered outside the house when I came into view. They all ran to me.

"What happened?" they asked.

"I think his body gave up on him. There's no wound but I'm not sure if he broke any bones," I answered.

"Here, let me take him," Eleazar offered.

"No!" I snarled and they backed up. "I'm sorry; I just, I couldn't let him go, I just, I just…" I started sobbing again.

Kate put her arm on my shoulder, "Shhh, we understand." They led me to the house and I laid him on the sofa.

Garrett grabbed some clothes from his closet and put it on Embry. As soon as Garrett was done, I went back to my place; I sat on the sofa and held his head on my lap.

"We'll go to town and buy some food and clothes for him," Carmen said. "Do you need anything else?" I shook my head.

"Are you going to be alright by yourself?" Kate asked and I nodded.

I knew that they were worried that I might run away again. My concern this time was Embry's health. "I'll be here when you get back," I assured them. That simple statement was enough for them to hear before they left to town.

I sat there in silence. I listened to Embry's breathing. It reminded me of how we used to be each night at the clearing. The memory brought both joy and pain, and once again, my mind debated on what I should do. Stay or run away?


	18. Pleading

A/N: I love the reviews! Everyone wanted Tanya to stay. Will she listen?

**Disclaimer: **

**Characters based on Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. **

(Tanya POV)

I didn't notice how long my family was gone. I stared at Embry's face the whole time; I didn't even blink nor shifted. I stayed put; the only part of me moving was my hand caressing his head. He looked so peaceful in my arms. It felt right, but I knew it was only for a moment.

I heard the door opened but did not bother to look. I knew it was my family based on the scent.

"How is he?" Kate asked.

"He's still sleeping but his breathing and heart beat are steady now," I answered.

"We bought soup and bread for him. When he's up, we'll just ask him if he wants to eat something else," Carmen and Eleazar placed the bags on the kitchen.

"These clothes should fit him. We didn't touch it too much so it would not smell like us," Garrett said.

"Thank you," I said to everyone without looking up.

"Do you want to wake him up so he could eat?" Kate asked.

I shook my head, "Let him rest. His body gave up on him; he probably deprived himself sleep. I'm sure he'll wake up on his own. Could somebody hand me a pillow?"

Garrett grabbed the pillow on the love seat and handed it to me. I lifted Embry's head and slowly put the pillow on the sofa. I placed his head on the pillow. Without looking up, I slowly walked towards the front door.

"You're not leaving again, are you?" Carmen asked with a sad voice.

"I don't know," I said and left the house.

--

I walked towards the forest. I stopped when the house was just a little bit visible. I sat on the same spot where Irina, Kate and I had our conversation not long ago when we received the invitation for Edward and Bella's wedding. This became our thinking spot.

I heard someone coming. I had a feeling somebody would follow me to make sure I wouldn't run away. I was surprised they didn't tackle me down when I headed to the door earlier.

"Are you okay?" It was not the voice that I was expecting. I was certain that Kate would be the one following me.

"I'm fine, Garrett."

"You're not thinking of leaving again, are you?" he asked with concern on his voice. He sat beside me.

"I don't know yet. Seeing him brought good memories; it felt so right to hold his head on my lap. But it also made me think of the reason why I left in the first place. We're wrong for each other," I said.

"Who was to decide if you were right or wrong for each other?" he asked.

"His pack doesn't approve of me, Garrett," I answered.

"They shouldn't decide for you," he said.

"How are we supposed to live peacefully when we both know that his pack hates me?"

"I'm sorry."

"Me too."

We were silent for a few minutes. "I called Quil to tell Embry that you came back here," Garrett's voice was soft as a whisper.

I got up. I was upset, "Why would you do that? It was a simple request not to tell anyone that I went back, Garrett."

He got up as well, "Because you're not the only person I promised to. I promised Embry before we left Forks that I will tell him where you are as soon as I find out. I stopped myself from calling him because it was what you wanted, but get real Tanya, being away from him is killing you."

"My decision to leave did not come lightly, Garrett, but I had to sacrifice for the both of us. I just told you why I had to go in the first place. You wouldn't understand. Your happiness was served to you in a platter; we have to fight for ours; a fight that was lost even before it began," I sobbed.

"That's where you're wrong, Tanya," he said. "When I called Quil a few weeks ago, he said that Embry already left to find you. Whether I called or not, he already started on his mission to find you. I just help him find the right way. He's willing to sacrifice for you, too."

I couldn't believe what I just heard. He set out to find me on his own even before he knew where he would find me. He must have been running around in circles to find where I was. It must have been the reason why his body gave up. He had been on his journey for weeks and I ran away once again at the sight of him.

"I did this to him," I whimpered and sat back on the ground, defeated.

"You thought you're doing the right thing at that time by running away. Please don't think it's still the right thing to do now," he said as he patted my shoulder. He left and walked back to the house.

Garrett was right; being away from him was killing me little by little. My body was still moving but my mind was dead. Deep down inside, I knew I wanted to be with him, to hold him and cherish every moment with him, but at what cost? I hated seeing Embry torn between me and his pack. I could see that he was torn every time that we were together. Letting go was the only solution I could think of. Now, I didn't know if I could do it again.

--

The sun rose signaling a new day. I did not move from where I was seated since last night when Garrett and I talked. I heard shuffling behind me. I turned to see Kate.

"Hey," I greeted.

"How are you?" she asked.

"I'm still here," I said. "How is he?"

"Still sleeping. Don't you want to be there when he wakes up?"

"I don't know," I answered.

"Garrett and Eleazar told us what they did. I wasn't so pleased but I couldn't blame them either. They love you and they were very much concerned of your well being. I hope you're not mad," Kate said.

"I'm not mad at anyone. I'm just not sure if I'm ready to face him." Kate wrapped her arms around me and we sat there for a while.

"I'm heading back. You coming?" she asked.

"No, you go ahead."

"Do you want me to call you when he wakes up?"

"I don't know," I answered. It seemed like it was the only safe response to any question.

--------------------

(Embry POV)

I slowly opened my eyes. I had to adjust to the light. I blinked a few times before I was able to totally open my eyes. My surroundings looked unfamiliar. The scent was not pleasant. Then a familiar scent crossed my nose; Tanya.

I got up from lying down just to fall back again.

"Careful, Embry, you were out for a while," a female voice said.

I willed my eyes to open again and scanned the room. I saw Kate standing by the foot of the sofa where I was lying down.

"Welcome back," Garrett said.

"Thanks. How long was I out?" I asked as I slowly got up; I used my arms for support. Carmen and Eleazar came out from the kitchen, I assumed, since Carmen was carrying a tray of food. My stomach growled at the sight of food, but I ignored it.

"A day," Eleazar answered.

"Where is she?" I asked. "Please tell me she didn't leave again."

"Eat, you need your strength," Carmen said as she set the food in front of me.

My stomach turned and I knew I couldn't ignore my hunger any longer. I had gone two days without food. I finished the soup, bread, fruits and juice on the tray. I was not full but satiated.

"Thanks for the food and clothes. Can I see her now?" I pleaded to her family.

"She's outside; somewhere in the forest," Kate said. She must have noticed the worried look on my face, "Don't worry, she hasn't decided on running away yet." I nodded at everyone and slowly got up. My head was still heavy, but I couldn't wait any longer.

I slowly dragged myself out the door and towards the forest. After a minute or two, my head stopped spinning and I felt my body relaxed a bit. A lot of rest and some food helped my body regain some energy.

I walked towards the forest and followed Tanya's scent. I did not have to search long before I saw her figure. She was sitting by a tree. I stopped myself from running from where I was standing to grab her and hold her in my arms. I didn't want to scare her, which may cause her to attack me.

--------------------

(Tanya POV)

I heard someone approaching. Either someone came to check on me and make sure I didn't run away again, or Embry was finally conscious. I hoped for the latter because I was starting to get worried. He had been out cold for a whole day. I was worried that he might have suffered a concussion when he passed out and hit the ground.

"Tanya," whispered a familiar voice. I felt my whole body stiffened. I was glad that he woke up and he was okay, but I wasn't ready to face him. Not yet.

I got up and tried to move, but I didn't get a chance to take one step forward. He grabbed my hand and forced me to face him. "We need to talk."

"You should go back to La Push, Embry. You don't belong here," I said without looking at him directly.

"I belong where you are," he said.

"I can't…I can't do this," I said. I pulled my arm from his hold and attempted to flee. This time, he didn't grab my arm; he tackled me down. "Let me go, Embry. I don't want to hurt you!" I could easily pry him off me since I was much stronger than he was in his human form but I was afraid that I might hurt him especially that he just regained his strength back.

"I will not let go until you talk to me," Embry said.

"Why can't you just leave me alone?" I asked.

"Because you are my imprint. My life is intertwined with yours; you own my heart, my soul, my being," he said as he loosen his grip. "I'm sorry that I tackled you, but it was the only way for you to stop running away." He helped me up and we sat together.

We sat in silence. I dared not look at him. "I tried to follow your request," he broke the silence. "You didn't want me to follow and I didn't. It was killing me inside and out, but I stopped myself from leaving behind my pack. You left for them and I wanted them to know the sacrifice you did for them." I felt his gaze on me, "The pack started to get worried when I started losing weight. I got mad at them because I felt like there was nothing that I did that would make them happy. You left me for their sake but they still had something to say." He grabbed my hand, "I forced myself to live without you, Tanya, I really did because it was what you wanted, but I can only be selfish for so long. I lasted two months without you, but I don't think I'll last any longer." His voice was breaking. "Please take me back, Tanya. Please," he sobbed as he kissed my hand. I felt his tears on my hand and it shattered my heart.

"We can't be together, Embry. We're from two different worlds; your tribe will always see me as a threat," I sobbed.

"We don't have to come back to La Push. I'll stay here or we can go anywhere, just don't leave me again, please, I won't be able to bear it again," he pleaded.

"What about your pack?"

"If giving them up means a life with you, I'll do it Tanya. Just please stay with me."

"You're giving up on them? They're your family."

"And you are my being," he said with much sincerity. "Before I left, I told them that I'm willing to give up being an Alpha if it's the only way to be with you. You are my priority, Tanya, and they understand that now. Every night of my journey, they wish me luck in finding you. It will be great if you want to go back with me, but if you want to stay here, that's okay, too. All I want is to be with you. Please, Tanya, don't leave me again," he pleaded.

"Oh, Embry," was all I could say. I hugged him and he wrapped his arms around me in return.

"Thank you, Tanya. Thank you," he whispered over and over in my ears.

--------------------

(Embry POV)

It felt good to have her in my arms again. It seemed like forever since the last time I felt her body against mine. I held her for a long time. I was worried that I might have hit my head hard when I passed out and this was just a dream.

We loosened our arms around each other and I held my face in my hands. Her cold temperature against my warm skin felt so right. I looked at her and savored every feature on her face.

"You are as beautiful as I remembered," I said.

She moved the hair that was blocking my eyes. "That's better."

We got lost in each others eyes; the moment felt right. I leaned in and kissed her lips for the very first time. She held my face closer to her. The kiss was simple, sweet and passionate. I didn't stop kissing her until I needed to breathe.

"Thank you for taking me back," I said while I put my forehead against hers.

"Thank you for finding me," she said and kissed me once again.

--

A/N: Awww, they finally kissed and made up. (Are you happy now, Rose?)

Next update will be some time next week (hopefully) since I still need to work on the next chapter and I'll be busy over the weekend.


	19. Decision

A/N: I'm so happy that you like the way the reconciliation worked out.

**Disclaimer: **

**Characters based on Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. **

(Embry POV)

Being with Tanya was so effortless and perfect; it was meant to be. Everything felt right; my head on her lap as we stayed quiet in the forest. The only thing that was missing was the sight of the clearing.

"Should we head back?" Tanya asked.

"I'd rather stay like this forever if I have my way. I've been without you for so long that I wanted to savor each moment that you have your arms around me. If we go back, I'll have to share you with your family and I'm not quite ready to share you yet," I said and I saw the tinkle in her eyes.

"You are the sweetest person I've ever met, Embry Call," she said and planted a kiss on my forehead.

I smiled at her. This was a perfect as life could be. Then I remembered my pack; they must be worried sick since they didn't hear anything from me last night. Another thought came to me, Tanya decided to take me back, but did it mean that she would come back with me to Forks?

"Tanya," I called for her attention.

"Yeah?"

"Have you decided if you wanted to come back to Forks or do you want to stay here? I need to phase later so I could inform them that I found you. I didn't get to talk to the pack last night and I don't want them to worry about me. When I tell them the news that I found you, I also want them to know if we're coming back or not."

"I haven't really thought about the living arrangement. I wanted to stay close to my family, but I understand your responsibility to your pack," she answered torn.

"If you want to stay here, I understand. Like I said earlier, I'll just tell them that I'll stay here if that's what you want. I'll pass the torch to Quil, so to speak," I said. "I tried to live without you and looked what it made me do in the end. I'll stay where you are, Tanya. Remember, my life is with you, not with the pack. You don't have to decide now; I'll just tell them that we haven't figured out yet where we're going to stay."

She was quiet for a moment, in deep thought. I wanted her to come back with me to Forks so that I could be with my mom and the tribe so I could continue with the responsibility that the Elders trusted in me. However, if she preferred to stay here in Alaska with her family, I would not think twice; I would give up my life in La Push just to be with her.

"Embry," she interrupted my thought. "I know it's important for you to be with your pack and if what you said about the attitude of your pack changing towards me, then I don't think it would be a problem if I move back to the Cullen's house."

"You mean you'll go back with me?" I asked with much excitement. I wanted to make sure that I heard her right.

"Yes, Embry, I'll go back to Forks with you," she repeated.

I shot up and started jumping. I grabbed her hand and danced around with her, "Thank you, Tanya, thank you so much." I kissed her all over her face and hugged her tight.

"I think we should head back and tell the others," Tanya giggled and grabbed my hand. We headed back to the house to announce our decision.

--

We were greeted by her family with big smile on their faces. They rejoiced when they saw our arms around each other. It showed that we reconciled. However, the smiles disappear when we told them our decision to go back to Forks.

"Are you sure?" Kate asked. Being Tanya's sister, I knew she would always be most protective of her.

"Yes, Kate, I'm sure," Tanya answered her. She wrapped her arms around her sister, "I'll miss you, too. You know you can always visit."

"I know, but it's going to be so different without you," Kate said as she returned the hug of her sister.

"You can come with us, if you want," I suggested.

"No, I think it's better that we stay behind. The pack might have understood your situation with Tanya, but we're still a threat to them," Garrett explained and the others agreed.

"You are always welcome to come back. You're Tanya's family, thus making you my family as well," I said.

"Let's not complicate your situation even more," Eleazar said and the others nodded in agreement.

"Just promise me that you'll take care of her, okay? If she comes back here sad, I will hunt you down," Kate threatened but I was not affected.

"Kate…" Tanya started but her sister cut her off.

"I know he won't dare hurt you anymore but just so he know what will be waiting for him," Kate said.

"When are you planning to leave?" Eleazar asked.

"That's up to Tanya," I answered. "She's the one leaving home."

"My home is with you now," she said and wrapped her arms around me.

"You two are so sweet," Carmen said and enveloped both of us in her arms.

"I'll let you talk to your family and decide when you want to leave. I'll tell the pack the good news. I'll be back in a few minutes," I said and kissed her cheeks before I headed out the forest.

--

_Who's out there?_ I asked as soon as I phased.

_EMBRY!_ I heard Quil exclaimed. _We were worried sick about you. Where were you last night? You phased then suddenly disappeared._

_I found Tanya but she ran away when she saw me. I tried to follow her but I passed out and phased back._

_What?! So where is she now?_ Brady asked.

_She's here. We're okay now. We'll be heading home, but I'm just not sure when. She's talking to her family right now._

_That's good to hear, Embry. Sorry again for being such an ass in the past_, Collin apologized.

_I already told you, Collin, everything's forgiven. Just pass along the message to everyone and the elders. Quil, tell my mom I'll be home soon._

_I will, Embry. She'll be happy to hear the news._

_I'll talk to you as soon as I get back. See you in a few days or so._

I phased back and walked back to the house. Carmen, Eleazar and Garrett were outside.

"They're saying their goodbyes; let's give them a moment," Carmen said and I stayed outside with them.

"Did she say when we're leaving?" I asked.

"Kate and I are going to drive you to Forks first thing tomorrow morning. Tanya doesn't want you to run back since you just got your strength back. It'll only take a day anyway," Garrett answered.

"That's too soon. I was expecting she'll want to stay here a little bit longer," I pondered.

"Tanya said you've been away from your tribe for a long time already," Eleazar said.

"But I think it's still too soon for her to leave you guys here," I said.

"They can always come and visit me in Forks. Your pack won't come here to visit you," Tanya stated behind me.

"She's right. We'll just miss her terribly," Kate said.

"It feels like I was taking her away from you. It doesn't feel right," I said.

Kate patted my shoulder, "It'll take some getting used to, Embry, but we'll get there. Tanya and I are just a little dramatic, that's all." The whole family laughed.

I grabbed Tanya's waist and wrapped my arms around her, "How did I ever deserve a woman like you?"

"Just be happy you imprinted on me; you're not my usual type," Tanya joked and we all laughed.

"We should head inside and feed our guest," Carmen said and led everyone inside.

--

Unlike Esme and Bella, Carmen didn't cook. She bought a lot of pre-cooked food in the store. I wasn't complaining. The gesture itself was great. None of them needed to feed me, but they went out of their way to get me food to eat.

"Thanks for buying these for me, you didn't have to. I could have gone out and hunt," I said while I continued to shove food in my mouth.

"Nonsense, you've had your share of 'nature' for the past month. It's time to nourish you back with good human food," Carmen said as she put the cut up fruits on the table.

"Don't spoil him too much, Carmen. I won't be serving him like that when we go back to Forks," Tanya teased. We all laughed.

--

"Are you set to go?" Garrett asked Tanya. She had some stuff to bring at the Cullens. I, on the other hand, pretty much just needed food and the clothes on my body and a spare.

"I think so. I still have some of my clothes over there so I don't need to bring a lot," Tanya answered.

"Thanks for much for the hospitality and thanks for letting me take Tanya away," I said to Eleazar and Carmen.

"Just take care of her," Carmen sobbed.

"I will," I assured her. "Whatever happened before won't happen again, I promise."

"Let's hit the road," Garrett announced. Garrett sat on the driver's seat, Kate beside him. Tanya and I took the back seat.

"It's a long trip; you might as well catch some sleep," Tanya said and pulled my head to her lap. Since we were set out to leave first thing in the morning, I decided not to sleep at all and spent time talking to everyone. It only took a couple of minutes before sleep took over my body.

--

It must have been hours since I fell asleep. When I opened my eyes and sat up, I saw blurry buildings in passing. Garrett must be driving over 100 miles per hour. "Where are we?" I asked as I blinked my eyes.

"Canada. We should be in Washington in about 15 hours," Garrett answered.

"Are you hungry?" Tanya asked.

"A little," I answered.

Kate handed me a bag of sandwiches, "Here you go. The water is on Tanya's side."

"How long was I out?" I asked.

"About 12 hours. Your body still needs rest," Tanya answered.

"Nah, I'm used to sleep deprivation," I said.

"From now on, you should try to get as much sleep as possible. You still need to nourish your body back to the way it was," Tanya said.

"I know. But you must admit, I looked better leaner," I told Tanya while I wiggled my eyebrows. Tanya swatted my arm. "Ow," I rubbed my arm.

"I'm sorry; I forgot you're not as strong as us," Tanya said as she lightly touched my arm. Her cool temperature made it feel a lot better.

"Are you fighting back there already? That's a little too soon, don't you think?" Garrett joked and we laughed.

After a nap, another meal in the car, a bathroom break for me, another nap and few hours, we arrived at Forks. We were home.

--

A/N: Short chapter, sorry. Next will be the meeting with the pack since Embry's back with Tanya.


	20. Welcome Home

A/N: As always, thanks for the reviews. Just one review short of 50. Keep them coming =D

**Disclaimer: **

**Characters based on Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. **

(Embry POV)

When we stopped outside the Cullens house, a wave of guilt hit me. This was where we had our fight and where I phased in front of Tanya. This was where I broke her heart.

Tanya must have noticed the sudden change in my lively mood. "You okay?" she asked.

"Oh, uh, yeah, just bad memories," I said.

She squeezed my hand, "All is forgiven now. Please don't think about it anymore."

"I know. It's just that the thought of doing what I did to you…" I trailed off.

"Let's not talk about it anymore, okay?" she requested and gave my hand another squeeze. I smiled at her and got out of the car.

I grabbed the small bag that Tanya brought with her. I knew that she was a lot stronger than me and didn't need my help, but I wanted to serve her and be a gentleman. Tanya carried the food that I didn't finish. We all went inside the Cullens house.

"Call us if you need anything," Garrett said as he walked towards the door.

"Wait, where are you going?" I asked.

"We're heading back to Alaska," Kate answered.

"What? We just got here. Don't you need to rest or something?" I asked but Kate snickered. "Oh yeah, no rest needed. But still, you should stay. Spend some more time with Tanya."

"You need to spend time together in private and talk things over. You didn't really get a lot of 'alone' time in the past three days," Kate said and patted my shoulder. "I know you'll take care of her. We're just giving you more of a head start." She winked then joined her husband by the door.

"Thanks for everything, Garrett," I shook his hand. "If not for you, I would still be running around."

"We're brothers; we watch out for each other," he said and waved goodbye.

"What time are you going back to La Push?" Tanya asked as soon as the car was out of sight.

"There's no rush; I didn't tell them when I'll be home," I answered.

"Okay. Let's see what movie we can watch," Tanya said and led the way to the living room. She browsed the movie collection of the Cullens and settled for a romantic comedy. We watched a couple of movies then I ate.

"I suppose I can't sleep here," I said as I stretched.

"Why not? You can sleep on the sofa," Tanya suggested.

"Nah. I've been away from my own bed for too long. I think it's time for me to head back," I said.

"What time are you coming tomorrow morning?" she asked.

"I'm not sure yet. I might need to meet up with the Elders and the others first thing so how about I call you as soon as I wake up tomorrow morning?"

"Sounds good. I'll talk to you tomorrow," she said and gave me a peck on the lips.

I grabbed her and kissed her deeply before I let go. "You're not going to be there when I wake up tomorrow morning so I needed something to remember you by," I said and winked at her before I headed out to the forest and phased.

--

I went straight home to greet my mother. I was away for quite some time and she must be worried sick about me.

"Embry!" my mom greeted as soon as she saw me enter the house.

"Mom," I hugged her.

"How are you? You look better than when you left. I take it that you managed to fix whatever problem you were having?" she asked.

"I did, mom, and if it works out for the better, you will surely know more about it," I told her. One great thing about my mom was that although things changed a lot since I phased, she kept her mind open and just let me do the things I needed to take care of. She might not know what really happened, as long as I was safe, she stopped worrying too much.

--

After a quick shower, I went to Quil's house. He was the first person I visited since I got home because he was the one who had always been supportive and he was my best friend. Things would have been harder without his support.

"Embry!" he exclaimed when he opened the door and saw me standing.

"Quil, great to see you," I said after a quick hug. "How's everything since I left?"

"It was tough in the beginning since there were mixed feelings about your decision, but as you know, it worked out in the end," Quil explained. "Do you want me to call on the others so we could have bonfire meeting?"

"It's getting late, I don't want to hold the others on whatever they're up to," I declined.

"They have been bugging me since you told us that you're coming back. They are all looking forward to it," Quil exclaimed and went inside to make the phone calls. I sat outside and waited.

Quil popped his head by the door, "Old Quil wants to talk to you. We're meeting at Sam's since there's not enough wood for a bonfire." I got up and went inside the house.

Old Quil was sitting on the sofa when I entered the house. "I don't know why you didn't come in right away when you got here," he greeted.

"I thought you're resting already," I said.

"Nonsense. Now before you head to Sam's place for this quick meeting with the others, tell me about your little adventure. I won't be able to join the meeting," Old Quil said.

"I headed north to Canada. I really didn't have a plan, which wasn't very smart, but I just kept on going. I hunted raw food just like Jacob did when he ran away. That's something I'm not planning on doing anytime soon. Without Garrett's call to Quil, I wouldn't be able to find her," I told my story.

"What happened when you saw her?" he asked. This time, Quil was sitting beside him and listening to the story as well.

"She ran away so I phased to follow her then I passed out after a few miles. When I woke up, I was in their house. She wasn't there but Kate said she was just in the forest, thinking. She hasn't decided if she's running away again or not. We talked and we reconciled, then she agreed to come back here with me," I finished my story.

"Well done, Embry. Now that she's back here with you, don't screw up again," Old Quil advised and I nodded in agreement. "You'll be surprised how the others changed since they found out you ran after Tanya, but those who have imprints themselves, even Paul, explained how it was like to be away from your imprint even for a short period of time. They understood what you went through."

"Good to know," I said.

"Let's go; most of them should be there already. We can have the meeting for about fifteen minutes before the patrol needs to start," Quil said. I stood up, shook Old Quil's hand and headed out.

--

"Embry!" Emily greeted and enveloped me in a hug. "We're so happy you're back."

"Me, too, Emily," I said as I gave her a squeeze before letting go.

"The others are waiting at the back. Everyone got here as soon as I hang up the phone with Quil. They're all excited to see you," Sam announced from the back door.

"Sam," I said and shook his hand.

"Welcome home," he patted my shoulder and the three of us headed out.

The whole pack was chatting amongst each other when we stepped out of the back door. Everyone fell silent. Sam sat beside Sue and Billy. Quil sat beside Jared and Paul, which left me to sit across the Elders, where the Alpha usually sat during the meeting.

Nobody spoke as I took my seat. They all just looked at me. Sue got up. "Men," she said and walked to me. I got up to greet her waiting arms. "We're all happy to have you back, Embry. These guys are just too sissy to show any emotion."

Everyone laughed. They all got up and shook my head as they welcomed be back. After I was done greeting the pack, I walked to Billy and shook his hand.

"Now that Embry's back," Billy started the meeting, "he will resume on being the Alpha of the pack and the patrolling schedule will be back the way it was before, unless there's any objection." I looked around to see if anybody would object; I was gone for more than a month in search of my vampire imprint, it was a valid reason to strip me off the responsibility. I was a little surprised that nobody raised his hand. I was expecting to be exiled.

"It's good to know that we are all in agreement," Sue said. "Is there anything that you want to tell us, Embry?"

I was about to say something when Janus' hand shot up. "Janus, what is it?" Sam asked.

"I want to hear Embry's story. What happened since he left?" Janus asked and the other expressed the same interest. I told them the same story that I told Old Quil earlier.

"I can't believe you passed out," Paul snickered. Some laughed with him.

"I was without real food and lacked sleep for a while, my body was giving up on me. I was surprised I even made it to Denali. I thought I was going to break a leg," I said and the others nodded. I didn't have time to rest when I was searching for Tanya so my body got weaker each day.

"Is she at the Cullens?" Collin asked.

"Yes, she is. I, uh, want to ask something," I said.

"Go on," Billy said.

"I know that you already accepted that I imprinted on a vampire and I greatly appreciate the understanding. I was hoping that maybe, even just once, if Tanya could cross the border so I could introduce her to my mom."

Everyone fell silent. "I knew it was too much to as…," I said but Sam cut me off.

"It's a little tricky, but I would rather have Tanya around a human in our side of the border rather than outside. What do you think, Billy?" Sam said.

"You have a point, Sam. But I think this is a decision that should be coming from the pack," Billy answered and turned to everyone. "You are the protector of the tribe and it's your decision if you'll let Tanya cross the border."

I waited for what felt like hours when it was only seconds. I waited for any objection. When Jared's hand shot up, I felt a lump on my throat.

"She'll need to be supervised and I suggest by at least two," Jared said then he turned to me, "just in case she lose control. I know she's vegetarian, but it's better safe than sorry." I nodded at him; I understood his concern and I was glad that he considered letting me introduce Tanya to my mother.

"The visit should be at night," I said. "She can't come out during the day."

"There would be no problem on the time of visit as long as you have one of your brothers with you," Billy said.

"So, it is settled. Tanya's allowed to cross the border, but only for the purpose of visiting your mother, Embry. Nothing more, nothing further in distance," Sue explained.

"I understand and thank you all for understanding. And if you wish to meet her, let me know. You're welcome to visit her," I said and the meeting was adjourned.

The other surrounded me while walking back to our homes. "Who's patrolling tonight?" I asked.

"We are," Jared answered then he turned to Janus, "You're off. You're back to patrolling with Embry tomorrow." He turned back to me, "You are ready to patrol tomorrow right? If not, we could rotate you back next week."

"No, tomorrow's fine. My appetite's back and I slept almost the whole time during the drive from Alaska. I should be in ship-shape for patrol," I answered.

"So, back to normal?" Paul asked.

"Yeah, I guess so," I said and we shook hands before separating.

--

A/N: This is the last update of the week since I'll be out of town, but you have a back-to-back update so you can't really complain =D


	21. Nerves

**Disclaimer: **

**Characters based on Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. **

(Embry POV)

I could have asked the others to rotate me in the patrol next week so that I could spend more time with Tanya. We haven't been together for a week since we reconciled and it would have been great if I could be with her. However, I was away for more than a month and the reason Tanya decided to come back with me in Washington was that so I could continue being the pack's Alpha. It wouldn't feel right if I didn't start taking back my responsibility right away.

I was glad that I slept during the drive home; I was still full of energy even though it was getting late. I decided to tell Tanya about the good news from the meeting. I hoped that she would want to meet my mother.

-----

(Tanya POV)

It felt weird to be back in the Cullen's house after months of being away. It became my home since Embry imprinted on me last September. It wasn't my real home; it didn't feel like the home I left in Alaska, but being close to Embry made it feel special.

Since I was back alone, I wasn't sure how to occupy my time. Maybe I should pick up a hobby or something so that I would have something to do when Embry's in patrol or taking care of pack business. It was never too late to learn how to cook gourmet food so maybe I would do that so that I could feed Embry proper food.

I was going through Esme's cook books when a familiar scent reached my nose. I stepped outside to see Embry walking out of the forest.

"What are you doing here? I thought you won't be back until tomorrow morning," I asked him.

"Well, it's past midnight to it is tomorrow morning," Embry said.

"Ha ha, very funny." We went inside the house and continued our conversation in the kitchen. "Seriously, what are you doing here? Not that I mind, because I don't, I'm just surprised." I started to cut up some salami from the fridge and made Embry a sandwich.

"As soon as I crossed the border, I informed my mom that I was home then I went to Quil's house. They insisted that we hold a meeting with the pack right away, so we did at Sam's place," Embry explained as he took a bite of the sandwich I handed to him. I really should learn how to cook food; this man's appetite seemed insatiable.

"What did you discuss about, or is it a 'secret'?" I teased.

"Well, I'm starting patrol tomorrow night, or should I say later tonight. The rotation is back to normal, as if I never left. They said they could rotate me back in, but I was away for a long time so I decided that I should get back to the routine. I hope you don't mind," Embry said and I nodded, so he continued. "They all asked what happened since I left. I told them that when I finally found you, you ran away."

I gasped, "You didn't! They must hate me now more than ever."

Embry saw the worried look on my face and put his sandwich down on the plate. He rubbed his hands on his shorts before he wrapped his arms around me, "Don't worry about it. I told them what we talked about; how you left in the beginning for my sake, for their sake. They understand us now; I told you that, didn't I?"

I wrapped my arms around and nodded my head, "I guess I'm just worried what it would be like facing them. I met Paul and Jared and that didn't turn out so well."

"You'll meet them soon enough," he said as he placed a kiss on the top of my head.

I looked up at him, "What do you mean I'll meet them soon enough? They are not planning to ambush me, are they?" He laughed at my outburst. I freed myself from his arms and moved across the room, "It's not funny, Embry."

"Tanya, they are not going to ambush you. They want to officially meet you. Whenever you're ready, I'll tell them to have a campfire here or something. Don't worry, I won't let you out of my sight," he assured me as he slowly moved to where I was standing. "Everyone knows how you look like so they would recognize who you are right away even if you have distinct smell," he said when he reached for my hand. I was sure that if I was just some regular vampire, he would have said 'stench' instead of 'distinct smell.'

"How?"

"When we are in wolf form, they could see through my mind. It was your face that occupied my head since the night you left so they pretty much memorized how you looked like. Although, I must say, image does not compare to the real thing," he smiled at me and I couldn't help but return it.

"You're too sweet," I said and gave him a peck on the lips.

"There's another thing I want to tell you." I waited for him to continue. He shoved his hands on his pockets before he talked again. "The Elders and the pack said that you can crossthebordersoyoucouldmeetmymom."

"You know vampires have really good hearing right? And I totally understood what you tried to mumble and I'm scared shitless right now?"

"Okay, I should remember that next time I try to mumble something. Wait, why are you scared? It's just my mom," Embry said.

"Just your mom? Embry, in my entire vampire life, and that's a pretty long life, you know, I never, ever, ever met any of my boyfriends' parents."

"Boyfriend, I like the sound of that," he said with a big grin on his face, which quickly went away. "Wait a minute, how many boyfriends did you have before me?"

I groaned. "You're not serious?" He crossed his arms on his chest and looked at me intently. "You've got to be kidding me. C'mon, I've been alive for decades. I don't know how many boyfriends I had in the past. Isn't the present more important?" I asked sweetly as I hoped that he would be swoon by my sweet voice.

"So unfair," he pouted like a five year old.

"What's unfair?" I asked.

"I'm your, what, millionth boyfriend and you're my first girlfriend," he answered. As if answering the question in my head how come he didn't have any girlfriend before I did, he said, "I phased before I had a chance on having one and ever since I phased, I couldn't tell anybody what I was unless she's my imprint. I willed myself to imprint already so that I could share my secret with someone else, but no luck. Then when I saw you, BAM! You, on the other hand, had so many boyfriends in the past that you couldn't even count."

"But none of that is important. Past is past. Let's just forget it, please?" I pleaded with him.

"I guess. I mean you can't help it if you're drop dead gorgeous. So back to what we were talking about earlier, when do you want to come with me to meet my mom?" Embry asked.

"Can't she just come here?"

"Well, the Elders prefer that you visit my mom in our side of the border, something about being in our own turf. Also, they insisted that aside from me, another member of the pack should be with us, just a precaution," he explained. I nodded. I understood the concern of the Elders. Embry's mom was a human and her safety was the pack's responsibility. "Is it really the location that worries you?" Embry asked when I didn't say anything after he explained the setup to me.

I shook my head, "I'm just thinking what it would be like. What if she doesn't like me? Oh my, what if she hates me?"

"Will you please stop worrying about it? She'll love you. I haven't told her about you yet but she knows that there's someone in my life that changed me. She was pleased to see me looking better than when I left. Please, for me?" it was his turn to plead and I couldn't say no.

"Fine, but you have to give her heads up and I need like a week to ready myself," I said.

"A week? You've met other humans before, didn't you?" he asked and I nodded. "So, why do you need a week to get ready?"

"I told you, I haven't met anybody's mother," I shrieked.

"It's going to be fine, Tanya. How about I tell my mom about it then I'll ask her when you can come over?"

He looked at me and waited for me to answer. How could I say no to my personal angel? "Fine," I surrendered. He wrapped his big arms around me and hugged me tightly. If I wasn't a vampire, I might have broken some bones. "Okay, okay, you can let go now," I said.

He kissed the top of my head before he let go, "Thank you." He saw the time on the microwave. It said ten minutes past one in the morning, "I should go. I don't want my mom waking up without me there. She might think I left again."

"Yeah, you should go home. What time are you coming back?"

"I'll talk to my mom as soon as I wake up then after that, I'll go here. I should be here for lunch," he answered.

"Do you want to meet her or at the clearing?"

"The clearing. I missed it," he said and kissed me lightly on the lips. "I'll see you later."

--

After spending a few minutes inside the house after Embry left, I decided to head to the forest. I was wearing out Esme's carpet by pacing back and forth. Since Embry told me that he was going to introduce me to his mother, my nerves was in frenzy. It was true that I never met any of my past boyfriends' parents. Most of my relationship that lasted for more than a couple of dates went on for only a few months because I couldn't risk exposing our kind to them. The closer I got to them, the more I would draw attention to my real life and I couldn't let that happen.

After I met Edward, I really didn't have any boyfriend because I half hoped that he would change his mind. Even Esme liked me for him before so there was no worry about his 'mother' liking me, but Embry's case was different. I was happy that Embry was planning to introduce me to his mother, but it would be awkward. To make matters worse, we would have a chaperone. Not only would I have to worry about Embry's mom, I would also have to deal with another member of the pack. I wondered who would come with us on our first meeting. I hoped it was Quil; at least he was Embry's best friend so I wouldn't have to worry about him not liking me. Based on what Embry said, he was very supportive of our weird relationship.

I tried to come up with excuses so that I wouldn't have to meet Embry's mom but I was unsuccessful. I couldn't say I wasn't feeling well since he knew that vampires didn't get sick. I promised that I wouldn't run away again, so that was out of the question. I could have said no when he asked but he was so ecstatic for me to meet his mother that even my dead heart couldn't bring itself to turn Embry down especially with his lovely eyes looking at me so intently. There was nothing else left to do but to suck it up and just deal with it. My only hope was that Embry's mom wouldn't agree on meeting me or would give me enough time to work on my nerves before our impending meeting.


	22. Embry's Mom

A/N: Thanks for the reviews, as always. I'm so glad that a lot of you felt Tanya's nerves just with the thought of meeting Embry's mom. Good to know that I captured in words the emotional roller coaster she was going through. Thanks also to those who put this story and me in your Favorite and Alert list/s.

**Disclaimer: **

**Characters based on Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. **

(Tanya POV)

"Tomorrow?!" I shrieked when Embry told me that his mother wanted to meet me tomorrow. "But, but, that's too soon!"

"Tanya, relax, it's just my mom," Embry tried to grab my hand but I quickly took it away.

"Relax? I can't relax. I even asked you for at least a week to get myself ready then you'll tell me just a day in advance. Ack!"

"I told my mom that I want her to meet someone special and she said bring her tomorrow. She's really looking forward to meet you," Embry said and took my hand with his. This time, I didn't pull away.

"What if she hates me?" I asked, worried.

"She won't, Tanya. She won't," Embry said in a soothing voice as we sat by the edge of the clearing.

-----

(Embry POV)

That was not the reaction I expected from Tanya. I thought she was just kidding when she said she needed a week to prepare herself before meeting my mom. When I told her that my mom wanted to meet her tomorrow, she showed a different side of her. I wasn't expecting her to freak out.

This morning, as soon as I woke up, I looked for my mom. I wanted to tell her the good news from last night. Finally, she would meet the woman that now owns my heart. She was in the kitchen, cooking a hearty breakfast for me.

"Smells good, mom," I said as I sat down by the table. "You didn't have to cook, though. I could have just eaten oatmeal or something."

"Nonsense. I haven't fed you for months, I want to see you eat," my mom said as she put the two plates on the table. The plates were full of eggs, bacon, sausages and toasts. "What time did you get home last night?" she asked.

"Not until around early this morning, a little before two. After I talked to Quil and our other friends, I visited someone," I said sheepishly and waited for my mom's reaction.

"When am I going to meet her?" she asked.

"Who?" I asked innocently.

"In case you forgot, Embry, I am a woman. We have this thing called sixth sense, and I know that whoever made you lose yourself a few months ago is the same person you looked for when you left and is the same person who is making you smile like a silly teenager. So, I ask again, when am I going to meet her?"

"How about next week?" I answered her question with a question. I remembered Tanya wanted at least a week to psych herself up in meeting my mother.

"You are not going to make me wait that long. Why don't you bring her over tonight?" I almost choked on the sausage I was chewing.

"Tonight is too soon, mom," I bargained with her.

"Tomorrow then. I will not wait another day; I must meet her tomorrow," my mom demanded.

"I'll tell her when I go and see her," I said and hurried eating breakfast.

As soon as I finished cleaning up the plates we used for breakfast, I hurried to Quil's house. The Elders required Tanya's visit to be chaperoned by at least one member of the pack. Quil would be the easiest to ask this favor.

"Sure thing, Embry. It'll be nice to see her again. I know you want to keep her to yourself, but you have to share her presence with us, too, you know," Quil teased.

"I know. You are welcome to visit her at the Cullen's house anyway. Just let me know ahead of time so I could warn her. I don't want her attacking you because your scent is unfamiliar," I joked. "I should get going; I have to tell her the good news."

"I'll see you later. Just tell me what time you want to meet up for the visit tomorrow," Quil said and went inside his house.

--

"Who's going with us?" Tanya asked which brought me back from my thoughts.

"Quil. I already told him before I came here," I answered.

"Well, at least someone will like me tomorrow," she said and leaned her head closer to my chest.

"You really should stop worrying about my mother. You'll like her and she'll like you," I assured her.

"How did you tell her?" she asked.

"I didn't get a chance. She knew there was a girl and she demanded to meet you. Actually, she wanted me to bring you tonight, but I told her I needed to tell you in advance so she said that tomorrow, she must meet you. It wasn't up for negotiation," I explained.

"I guess not. What should I bring?" she asked.

I chuckled, "You don't have to bring anything. She just wants to meet you."

"I don't know what I'm going to do if she doesn't like me," she mumbled.

I held her face in my hands and made her look at me, "Tanya, she is not going to hate you. She will like you; heck, she's going to love you. I love you and she will see that." Her eyes went big and she sucked her in her breath and did not exhale. "I know you don't need to breathe, but you're scaring me. Breathe and tell me what's going on."

"WH-what did you just say?" she stuttered.

"I said breathe."

"No, before that," she told me to backtrack. I thought back on what I said and I realized what I said that could have made her react the way she did.

"I said 'I love you'," I repeated the three words that flowed effortlessly from my lips. I looked at her intently. "Please say something," I asked her when she didn't say anything after a few seconds.

"I really don't know what to say. I, uh, I never really tried to name my feelings for you, but when you said that, it made me realize that I love you, too."

I was in heaven. Hearing those words made my heart soar. I leaned my forehead to touch hers and focused my eyes on hers. "I love you," I whispered and I kissed her as sweetly and passionately as I could. I didn't stop until I ran out of breath. I pulled away to catch my breath. Tanya giggled when I rushed sucking in air.

"I love you, too. Don't worry about needing to pull away from me sooner; I understand you need to breathe. I'm not going anywhere, not anymore," she then kissed me lightly on the lips.

"So, can I take you to my house tomorrow to meet my mother?" I asked. I saw the hesitation in her eyes but she nodded. "Thank you," I said and kissed her hand.

"You're lucky that I love you, or I would have said no," she joked.

"Yeah, I know," I chuckled and we held each other until the sun set from the sky.

--

_Good luck later, Embry._ I heard Harry said in my head.

_I think he needs more than luck. I remembered when __I introduced Layle to my mom, that was some experience_, Janus said.

_Not helping, Janus_, I said.

_Sorry. Well, I guess at least your mom's expecting Tanya tomorrow. My mom didn't have a clue that I was bringing a girl over and she flipped. Something about fixing herself up for company_, Janus said.

_Only you would do that, Janus_, Harry said and we all laughed with him.

_So, who's going with you?_ Raleigh asked.

_Quil._

_When are we going to meet her?_ Raleigh asked again.

_It's up to you. Like I said, you're welcome to visit her across the border_, I answered.

_Is it okay if we pop at your house later when she arrived?_ Harry asked.

_Not today. She's already nervous as it is; more company won't help_.

_Maybe next time. Good luck!_ Janus said. The others gave the same sentiment before phasing back to human form.

-----

(Tanya POV)

I changed at least four times. I started wearing a nice sundress then decided it might be too fancy. Besides, it was not quite Spring yet. I was never bothered by the weather, but I didn't want Embry's mom to think that I was weird. I changed to a shirt and jeans but it felt a bit informal. I changed to black dress, but that was too formal. I changed to a nice floral top with three-quarter sleeves and a knee-length skirt and wore a nice pair of sandals. I looked at the mirror and was about to change again when I whiffed Embry's scent. _This is it_, I thought to myself and headed downstairs.

I smiled when I saw Embry. "Hey," I greeted him.

"Hello, gorgeous," he said and met me at the end of the staircase. He kissed the top of my head, "Are you ready?"

"If I say no, can we reschedule?" I asked.

"No can do," he said.

I sighed and held on his hand, "Well, I guess, it's now or never." He kissed my hand and he led me outside. "Isn't that Jacob's car?" I asked when I saw the Rabbit parked in front of the house.

"Yeah, I called him yesterday to borrow it. He said it's okay."

"Where's Quil?" I asked. I remembered well how he said that we needed to be supervised when I visit his mother.

"He'll meet us there," Embry said as he opened the door for me.

"Such a gentleman," I teased.

"Everything for my lady," he said. He went to the driver's side and we drove to La Push.

--

"Relax," he said when he grabbed both my hands with his big right hand. I had been fidgeting the whole way.

"It's easy for you to say," I mumbled.

"Everything's going to be fine, promise," he said with a smile that made my dead heart melt every time. I smiled back at him and held his hand until we crossed the border. Not long after crossing the border, we reached his house. He parked the car in front of what I assumed to be his home. A middle-aged woman was looking out the window. "She's been waiting for you since I left this morning," Embry said when he unlocked his door to step out. He went around to open my door. "You'll do just fine," he whispered as he helped me out of the car.

"Where's Quil?" I asked.

"Right here," I heard Quil said behind me.

"Hey," I greeted him. I extended my hand but he brushed it off.

"That's not how you greet your boyfriend's best friend," he said and hugged me. I laughed and Embry intervened.

"You can let go now, Quil. Mom's waiting," he said and nodded his head towards the front door where his mom was waiting for us. He wrapped his arm around my waist and led me to the house; Quil behind us. "Mom, this is Tanya. Tanya, this is my mother, Lana."

"Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Call," I said and extended my hand.

"You hugged your boyfriend's best friend and you're shaking my hand? You're going to be family now," she said and hugged me. Who knew that Quileutes were huggers? "Are you cold?" she asked after hugging me.

I shook my head. "Just nervous," I answered.

"Embry, what have you told Tanya about me?" she teased her son and smiled back at me. "Call me Lana. My mother was Mrs. Call, I'm Miss Call. Why don't we go inside and chat?" she said as she grabbed me from Embry's arm. "You must tell me how you met my son. He wouldn't tell me anything, that boy."

"Mom, really, you're going to scare her away," Embry grunted.

"By the looks you were exchanging earlier, I don't think anything would separate the two of you," Lana smiled and I couldn't agree more.

--

A/N: I totally made up Embry's mom's name since it was not in the book.


	23. Food

**Disclaimer: **

**Characters based on Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. **

(Embry POV)

Yes! My mom totally adored the love of my life. Tanya looked at ease as my mom took her from my arms and led her to the house.

"So, how did you two meet?" my mom asked Tanya. She didn't get a chance to say anything because my mom talked right away, "Wait, before you answer that, I hope you're hungry. I cooked. Let's go to the kitchen; I already set the table."

"Shit!" I whispered low enough to escape my mom's hearing but loud enough for Tanya to hear. I saw her look in my direction. She smiled. Why did she smile? My mom was planning to feed her human food, something that she hadn't eaten for decades and she smiled. I didn't even know what it would taste like for her but she acted as if it was normal for a vampire to eat human food.

We sat around the table; my mom on my left, Tanya on my right and Quil in front of me. Quil quickly attacked the food set in front of us. Tanya laughed at him and quickly picked up a dish and put food in my plate. Tanya always prepared my food for me when I visited her which I felt bad about since she didn't even share my food but she insisted that since I was a guest, I should be served.

I took the dish from her hands and put the food in my own plate. "You're the guest this time; I should be serving you." I put a spoonful of vegetables in her plate and mouthed 'sorry' before putting food on my own plate.

"Embry, put some more food in Tanya's plate," my mom demanded.

"It's okay, Lana. I'm not very hungry and I want to taste all the dishes," Tanya said.

"You shouldn't have let her eat before you left her house," my mom said to me as she handed me a plate of chicken. Like I did with the vegetables, I put a spoonful of chicken on Tanya's plate before putting a large portion in mine.

We started eating and I couldn't help but check on Tanya. She sliced some chicken and added some vegetables on her spoon before putting it inside her mouth. I wanted to grab the spoon away from her and tell her she didn't have to eat. I knew my mom would be confused why I would react that way, but I didn't care. I didn't want Tanya to eat something 'foreign' to her.

Tanya lightly chewed the food in her mouth before I saw her swallow down the food in her throat. Her face showed no reaction on how grossed out she must be at that moment. She continued eating until the food in her plate was gone. All I could do was watch her; I barely touched my plate.

--

"Are you alright?" I asked Tanya after lunch. My mom cleaned up the table while Quil, Tanya and I headed to the living room.

"I'm fine," she said.

"I'm sorry about my mom; you could have just told her you're in a 'special' diet," I said as I rubbed her knuckles. She laughed at what I said. "It's not funny; I'm just telling the truth."

"I know, but don't worry too much. I'm fine, really," she said as she leaned her head to my warm chest.

"You two are the sweetest lovebirds I have ever seen," mom chimed as she joined us in the living room. "So, back to our conversation, how did you two meet?"

I looked at Tanya and squeezed her hand. "I met her at the Cullen's," I answered without looking away from her beautiful golden eyes.

"You know the Cullens?" my mom asked Tanya.

"Yes, we go way back," she answered and Quil snorted. Mom ignored him and willed Tanya to continue. "We met when Carlisle worked in Alaska."

"Is that where you're from?" mom asked and Tanya nodded. "How's the weather there?"

"Cold, but I've lived there for like forever so I was used to it."

"How about your family?" mom asked and I saw Tanya shifted a bit.

"Mom, this is starting to sound like an interrogation," I said.

"I just want to get to know Tanya. Well, since we have lots of time for that, I'll just take my time in getting to know you dear," mom patted Tanya's other hand, the one I wasn't holding.

"I hope you don't mind if I cut the visit short, but my family's expecting a call from me in an hour," Tanya said.

"That's fine. You must visit soon," mom said and hugged Tanya.

Tanya returned mom's embrace, "I will. Thank you for welcoming me in your home and for the lovely meal."

--

"Tanya, are you okay?" I panicked. As soon as I parked the car in front of the Cullen's house, Tanya jumped out of the car and went to the forest. It wasn't far; I could still see the house. She was hunched over a tree. Her left arm was leaning on the tree while her right held her face from her face. She was throwing up.

She used her left arm to wipe off her mouth. "Give me a minute," she said but I didn't have any minute to give. She was throwing up. Who knew vampires throw up? I walked towards her and held her hair in place. "Sorry about this. I, uh, I need to hunt to wash this down. I'll be back as soon as possible," then just like that, she sprinted towards the forest.

I decided to walk towards the clearing. She would know where to find me when she gets back. I was still worried about her throwing up, but she seemed pretty calm about it. I just wanted to make sure she was okay.

Not half an hour passed and I heard shuffling through the woods. I looked around to see Tanya smiling brilliantly at me. "Hey," she greeted.

I got up and hugged her, "You got me so worried. What happened?"

"Eating real food is like eating dirt. A bite's fine but a plateful is something else. I just had enough control not to throw up in your house, I'll tell you that. I had to, uh, drink to wash off the taste. Sorry."

"Why didn't you tell me? You didn't have to eat anything."

"And disappointment your mother? Yeah, right. I just never had to take in that much human food in one sitting. That's one experience I'll never forget, I'll tell you that," she chuckled. I knew she was trying to make me feel better and it was working a bit, but still not enough to take all my worries away.

"Next time, I'll tell my mom not to feed you anymore. I'll bring you over to see her on weird time so that you won't need to eat. At all," I said firmly. It wasn't up for negotiation.

"Thank you," she said and kissed me on the cheek.

"So, what do you want to do?" I asked.

"How about we start watching the movies they have in that house?" Tanya said and nodded her head towards the direction of the Cullens house.

-----

(Tanya POV)

I would never ever e-v-e-r eat human food again. It took all my might not to puke at Lana's house. That was not the kind of first impression I wanted to leave her. I was so glad that my face couldn't change color or else my face would be in different shades of green.

I was fidgeting while Embry drove us home. I knew I would be much faster if I just run instead of sit inside this car but I didn't want Embry to worry more. As soon as he parked the car, I almost kicked the passenger door off so that I could run to the forest and throw up.

Embry followed me but I didn't want him to see me like this, throwing up because I ate the same food he did. I felt bad for the guy. I asked him to give me a minute and ran to hunt. I needed to wash this awful taste in my mouth. It was definitely gross.

I pushed my feet on the ground so I could go faster. I spotted a fox and didn't even think twice; I jumped on it and drained it quickly. It was enough to wash away the dirt taste in my mouth. I ran back as soon as I straightened myself.

I went back to the place where I left Embry, but he wasn't there. I went to the clearing and there he was sitting by the edge. I couldn't help but marvel at his peaceful appearance. The things I would do for this man. I said about an hour ago that I would never ever eat human food again, but if that's what it would take for me to belong in his world, in his life, I would gladly eat dirt and throw up over and over again.

I slowly crossed the distance between us. He held me close to him and promised that he would not let his mother feed me human food anymore and I believed him.

-----

(Embry POV)

"She's beautiful," my mom said when I entered the house. She was sitting in the living room, knitting.

"She is, isn't she?" I couldn't help but smile.

"You must bring her over again soon. It's nice to have another woman around."

"Uh, mom?" She looked up and waited for me to continue. "When I bring her over again, please don't cook anymore food. She's, uh, allergic to a lot of stuff," I lied.

"Oh my! Is she okay?" she panicked.

"Relax, mom, she's fine. When we got home, she just drank, uhm, medicine," I lied again.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"She didn't want you to know; she didn't want you to think that she didn't like your cooking," I said and sat beside her.

"Oh that sweet, sweet girl," she said. "She's a keeper." I nodded in agreement. There was no way I would lose her again.

--

"I already told mom," I told Tanya the next day.

"Told her what?"

"Not to cook anymore for you when you visit," I explained. "I told her that you have a lot of allergies with food."

"How did she react?"

"She got worried, so I said you drank your 'medication' when we got here," I said and we both laughed. "So, you up for another visit?"

"Sure," she answered.

I got up and grabbed her hand. "Good, let's go."

"Now? You're kidding!" she exclaimed.

"She said to bring you over again soon and that's what I'm going to do." She got up reluctantly but since we didn't have anything planned out to do today, she complied.

--

"Hey!" Jared greeted as soon as we got off the car.

"Jared, this is Tanya. Tanya, this is Jared," I introduced them to each other. "Where's Kim?" I asked. Jared said that he would bring Kim over as well so that Tanya would have someone to talk to about being an imprint and all.

"She's a bit 'moody' today," he said and I understood him. It was our term for a girl's monthly visitor.

"What are you standing there for? Embry, bring them inside," my mom called out from the window and we all shuffled in the living room.

"Tanya, dear, would you please join me in the kitchen?" mom asked Tanya. I stiffened; I just told her last night not to feed her and she was asking Tanya to join her in the kitchen. What else do you do in the kitchen that doesn't involve eating?

Tanya got up and looked worried. "Mom?" I called out to her.

"Oh, relax, I just need her help to me put together the snacks for the two of you," she answered and took Tanya's hand and led her to the kitchen.

-----

(Tanya POV)

"You could have said no when I tried to feed you yesterday," Lana said as soon as we entered the kitchen. It was more of a whisper; she probably didn't want the guys to hear our conversation.

"I didn't want you to think that I didn't appreciate the food you prepared," I said.

"Tanya, I would rather have you say no than be sick," she said and rubbed my back.

"Thanks, Lana," I smiled at her.

"Sit down," she motioned to the chair by the table. She sat beside me. "How much do you know about Embry?" she asked.

"I hope everything. He knows everything about me," I answered.

"So I guess it's safe to assume that you know about what he could 'change' into," she said and my eyes but jumped out of their sockets. "Your reaction is answer enough for me," she said and I was speechless. I opened my mouth to say something but words would not come out. She patted my hands, "I know what he is, Tanya. I know he's a werewolf." I almost fell from my chair.


	24. Quileute Legend

**Disclaimer: **

**Characters based on Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. **

(Tanya POV)

"The boys must be waiting for their snack," Lana said and got up to get thawed frozen spinach from the refrigerator. I looked at her, bewildered. How could she act so normal after dropping a bomb like that was beyond me. "Tanya, please be a dear and cut up the bread on the counter," she instructed. All I could do was to get up from my chair and walked like a zombie. I was still shocked and still hadn't said a word. What would be an appropriate reaction anyway?

After Lana fixed the spinach dip, she grabbed the bread slices and we walked back to the living room. "Here you go, boys. Why don't you two eat that outside? I'll teach Tanya to knit," she instructed Jared and Embry. Jared got up and grabbed the dip and bread and headed out.

Embry went to my side and whispered, "You okay?"

"Yes, I am, silly. Why won't I be?" I answered. I was shocked, but I was okay.

"Just checking." He kissed the top of my head before addressing his mother, "Don't tire her, mom." I smiled at what he said; he knew that I would never be tired. It's a vampire thing.

"It's just knitting, son," Lana answered and handed me a set of knitting needles and a ball of yarn.

--

Lana gave me instructions on how to knit. Other than that, there was no other topic. I didn't know how to bring it up and it seemed like she had no intention of saying anything further. The fact that she knew what Embry turned into bothered the heck out of me.

"Lana?"

"Yes, dear?"

"How and since when did you know?" I asked. Her face lit up; I knew she would understand my question.

"Thanks for bringing it up again. I thought you didn't want to talk about it anymore," she said. She moved closer to me so that we could talk in low voices. We could hear Quil's voice; he must have joined the others. It would be easier to cover up our conversation.

"I may not be from around here, but I'm quite aware of the Quileute legends," she started her story. "I knew about it even before I moved here. I was scared when I first heard of their tribal story, but Embry has Quileute blood and him being a boy, I knew there might be a chance of him turning into one. I did pray continually before that he wouldn't turn into a werewolf because I didn't know what I would do, but I felt that just in case it happens, he would be in a place where others will understand him.

"A few years back, there was news about 'bear' attacks, but when they said it wasn't really a bear but more like an enormous horse, I knew what they were talking about. Just weeks before that happened, he started acting differently. I thought it must be peer pressure, but when he stopped hanging out with Jacob and Quil, I knew something changed. I was scared, I tell you that. I didn't know what in the world I would do and I didn't know who to go to. What scared me the most was the fact that he grew so much; it was like he doubled in size overnight. Then he became very hot; he was always warm, walking around with just a shirt, sometimes even without, when it's freezing outside.

"I racked my brain to find answers to what happened to my son. I was so stressed that I didn't know what to do. Then I remembered what I heard about the Quileute tribe; men turn to werewolves to protect their tribe from their enemy. I laughed at that when I remembered what their enemy was. Vampires. How silly was that? Vampires don't exist," she paused and my body stiffened; if she only knew.

"But I guess they do exist since werewolves do, although I haven't seen one," she said and I fumbled over one of my sticks and it fell on the floor. She had never seen a vampire, she said; I wondered how she would react if she found out about me.

"Sorry," I said and picked up the stick. "Please, continue."

"I was mad at myself for getting pregnant with a Quileute. Don't get me wrong, I love my son with all my life, but I half-hoped that he wasn't half Quileute. I tried to ground him during those late night rendezvous that he started to go to; I didn't want him involve in this vampire versus werewolf thing, but he would just sneak out at night. After months of that, I just gave up. He was never hurt when he came home, but as a mother, I just can't stop worrying. There were so many instances that I just wanted to confront him about him, tell him what I know, but I never had the courage to do so. What if he denied it or they have some pact of 'don't tell your parents about it'? I don't want to get mad at him for something that he's not in the liberty to talk about, you know.

"He doesn't know that I know, and I want to keep it that way. I don't know if he will get in any trouble. I don't want others to assume that he told me. I don't know who he reports to or anything, but I want to keep this between the two of us."

"I won't tell him about this conversation," I promised.

We continued knitting in silence. Lana would check my work from time to time and added instructions before I continued. After a few minutes, Lana stopped what she was doing and looked at me, "How did you get him to tell you?"

"How much of the Quileute do you know?" I asked her in return.

"What I told you earlier are all I know," she answered.

"I don't know if it's okay to tell you about it, but what you know if much bigger than what I'm going to tell you so I don't think it's going to be a big deal," I said and she waited for me to continue. "I'm his imprint," I said.

"His what?" Lana asked.

"His imprint. The boys who started to phase imprints on girls who are bound to be their mates. When they find their imprint, they have the liberty to tell that person about being what they really are," I explained. "You understand what I'm saying?"

"Did you get scared when you found out?" she asked.

Did I get scared? I never thought I would ever have to answer that question. I knew she wanted to know if I got scared when I found out Embry was a werewolf since it was not normal to have giant wolves running around, but it was not new to me. I was a vampire after all. My answer would be no, I wasn't scared when I found out that Embry was a werewolf, but I was scared of something else. I was a vampire and Embry was a werewolf; we were of the opposite sides of a coin. So, if Lana was asking if I was scared when I found out that Embry imprinted on me, I was a little bit. How could two totally different people supposed to be soul mates? How were we supposed to deal with our differences? Right now, we were getting by, but there was still no certainty in the future.

"Yes, I did get scared, but he was there for me so I didn't have to deal with it alone," I answered. I knew my answer was not for her question, but it was an answer that would do.

"I'm glad that he met you," she said and patted my hands.

"Me, too," I said with sincerity.

--

"What did you and mom talked about?" Embry asked on the drive back to the Cullen's house.

"Wouldn't you want to know?" I teased.

"Come on, it must be good since she kept you to herself the whole time."

"What is the sense of talking behind your back if I'll tell you what we talked about anyway? That won't be so much fun."

"Fine, don't tell me. I won't tell you what Jared, Quil and I talked about."

"Who said I was interested?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. I knew my teasing was getting on his nerves but it was fun to watch.

"Women," he grunted.

"Yeah, I know, but you still love us just the same," I laughed.

--

I finally met the whole pack. I first met Harry, Raleigh and Janus. They went to the Cullen's house before they started their patrol with Embry. Collin and Tom went to Embry's house while I was there with Lana. I met the rest when Sam and Emily invited me over to their place for a little get together. Paul was not happy that I was invited for two reasons: one, I was supposed to be only allowed to cross the border to visit Lana, and two; I didn't even eat so why should I go to a barbeque. Emily insisted that since everyone else's imprints were invited, I should be invited, too.

It was a bit uncomfortable for me to be around them, not because of their enticing smell, but because I looked totally different. The humans looked, well, human. The werewolves all looked tall and bulky. I, on the other hand, was pale, almost translucent. I felt like I didn't belong. Emily, being an angel as she was, asked me to help her out.

"I don't cook," I said when we reached the kitchen.

"I know that. But you know how to cut, right?" she said and handed me the knife and onion. "Sorry to give you that task, but you not having tear ducts would be very helpful."

I chuckled, "How should I slice this?"

"We just need rings for the burgers and some for the salad. We, girls, need to keep our figure while the boys eat like there's no tomorrow," Emily laughed and I joined her.

Rachel, Kim and Layle joined us in the kitchen. "You ladies need any help?" Rachel asked.

"I see Emily put you to work," Layle said to me. "It's her little initiation, make you work for the boys." All of us laughed.

"You make it sound like I slave you around," Emily joked.

"Oh, Emily, you know we love you. Just as long as you host this gatherings. I don't think anybody else's house could hold a crowd like that," Kim pointed outside. They all shook their heads. Kim and Layle took the plates outside, while Rachel gathered some serving utensils.

"Thanks for inviting me, Emily," I said to her when the three girls left.

"You're one of us now, Tanya. You might be different, but you're still family," she said and gave me a squeeze on the shoulder. I looked outside and saw Embry looking at me and Emily with so much adoration in his eyes. It must be a relief for him that I was welcomed to his world. I was glad that I finally belonged where he did.


	25. New Home

A/N: I don't know if I ever told you this but you are AWESOME!!! Thanks so much for the reviews and keep them coming.

**Disclaimer: **

**Characters based on Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. **

(Embry POV)

"Esme?" I said when a woman answered the phone.

"_Yes, who is this?"_

"It's Embry. Is Dr. Cullen home?"

"_Oh, hello, Embry. Carlisle's home; is everything alright?"_

"Everything's fine. I just needed his, uh, permission on something."

"_He's here now."_

"_Embry, how are you?"_ Dr. Cullen asked.

"I'm doing great Dr. Cullen."

"_Call me Carlisle, Embry. Esme said you needed my permission?"_

"Yes, I do. I know that you said Tanya's always welcome in your house here but I was wondering if I could build her a small house of some sort right at the border. That way, she'll be closer to where I am. I haven't asked the Elders yet, I wanted to ask you first since you're not here."

"_I don't see any problem with that, Embry. As soon as the Elders tell you yes, start building the house. Does Tanya know?"_

"No, I haven't told her yet; I want it to be a surprise."

"_She will surely love that, I'm sure."_

"Thanks, Carlisle. I certainly hope that she would love it."

I ran quickly to Old Quil's house as soon as I finished talking to Carlisle. Billy usually spent his days there. I would call Sam and Sue when I get there. I sincerely hoped that there would be no problem with my plans.

--

"What did Dr. Cullen said about your plans?" Billy asked.

"He said if he's fine with it; all I need is your approval," I answered.

"Do you have any plans on how you'll do this?" Sue asked.

"I'm hoping the pack would lend a hand."

"I'll help," Sam volunteered and for that, I was thankful.

"Is it going to be a full house or just something that she could stay in?" Old Quil asked.

"Well, I think I could skip the kitchen since she doesn't eat anyway and skip the bedroom since she doesn't sleep. I'm just a bit worried about the bathroom. I learned how to wire for electricity, but plumbing is not my forte," I answered.

"We could ask around to see if they know anybody who can help you out. I'm sure they'll be happy to lend you a hand. Tanya must be very excited," Sue exclaimed.

"She doesn't know yet. I wanted to surprise her," I said sheepishly.

"I never took you for the romantic type, Embry," Sam teased and everyone laughed.

--

Aside from the pack and the Elders, only Emily knew what Tanya was. The other imprints were not aware that Tanya was a vampire. Emily only knew because she was the Cullen's 'extended' family. We didn't want to endanger anybody else by telling them Tanya's true nature. Nor did we want any of them to change their acceptance once they found out the truth about her. None of them suspected her different and Emily guided her along the way on how to answer the question 'why are you not eating?'

The next few months went by with ease. Tanya slowly made her way to my world. Emily's attempt to involve her more in our gatherings did not go in vain, and for that I would be eternally grateful to Emily. She was the heart of this pack when Sam was the Alpha, and now, even when he stepped down, Emily remained as our 'mother'.

Every one, even Paul, lightened up with the whole situation as well. Maybe a part of it was because Kim, Layle and Rachel loved hanging around with Tanya. Emily's house became their little meeting place since Emily couldn't leave Salia, her and Sam's daughter.

Since it was their imprints that got together in Emily's house, Jared, Janus and Paul rotated in coming with me whenever Tanya went there. After she settled, I would excuse myself and proceed to some 'Alpha' task. Not that I needed to be there anyway; Quil was always there for Claire and Collin imprinted on Salia. Sam was not happy, but there was really nothing he could do about it. The others continually teased Collin since his imprint was now the youngest in the group. It took a while before we got off Quil's case; Collin would be the target of baby jokes until somebody else imprints on someone younger than Salia.

--

Spring quickly rolled in. The weather was getting warmer and it would be great for some First Beach fun. However, it was not a good season for Tanya. With her skin sparkling under the sun, it prevented her from joining the others. I didn't mind staying with her at all. I would rather spend my days in doors and be with her than spend hours soaking under the sun when my mind was somewhere else.

My mom missed Tanya's frequent visits. She became a tad jealous when Tanya started to spend more time at Emily's and when spring came; I had to tell her that Tanya had really sensitive skin under the sun. My mom thought of buying a strong sun block lotion but I told her it wouldn't work. The determination of my mother was really strong.

"I'll bring her over at night, how's that?" I tried to compromise with my mother.

"That would be great. It felt like I haven't talked to her for a long time," mom answered.

"She was just here last week," I chuckled but my mom just brushed me off.

--

While Tanya spent her days with the girls, the guys helped me out in building the little house right at the border. Sam managed to contact someone for the plumbing and also to connect electricity from the main road. It was a bit slow in the process since we had to take breaks from time to time, but I was thankful that even though it was moving along slowly, it was getting done. If I had to do it alone, I wouldn't be able to finish it.

Tanya grew suspicious of my everyday 'Alpha' business. She would just ask what I did and I would say I took care of some business. After my answer, she would not talk about it any further. It worried me from time to time that what if Tanya wandered around the border; my secret would be found, but knowing her, she would not even leave the house unless she needed to hunt. Even if she did, she never went to the direction towards La Push. She always hunted north, towards Canada.

--

After a few months, we finished the house and it was already setup to live in. It had a little sitting room with a sofa and love seat. It had a small TV set in one area and a shelf with some books. These were all given by the pack.

A bathroom was in one corner with a shower over tub and a toilet, not that she needed the toilet. That was for me when I visit. Although I originally opted out on a bedroom, Janus suggested that we add one since Tanya would need a changing room and a place to relax other than the living room. The place got a little bigger, but that was it. Outside, we set up a grill just in case the pack wanted to come over and since the house didn't have a kitchen; barbeque would be the only way to go.

When we finished setting up the house, I went to the Cullen's house first thing the next morning. Tanya was sitting in the living room. She was reading. I saw her face lit up as soon as I opened the door.

"You're early!" she exclaimed as she got up and practically knock me over as she hugged me. She finally learned to control her strength with me. She knew when to hug tighter and when to let go.

"I have a surprise for you," I smiled at her

"What surprise?" she asked.

"It won't be much of a surprise if I tell you now. You'll know when we get there. For the meantime, I need you to wear this blindfold," I said and took out a scarf from my pocket.

"What's up with the whole secret?" she asked as I put the blindfold over her eyes.

"You'll find out soon enough," I whispered in her ear and led her outside. "We're going to walk, and don't worry, I won't let you fall." She laughed at that; we both knew that she wouldn't get hurt if she fell, but being the protective boyfriend, I preferred that she stayed upright the whole time.

--

I was nervous when we reached the cottage that the pack and I built. What if she didn't like it? What if she hated it? These questions went over and over in my head while we were still building the house; the pack had to calm me down.

"It's not a mansion," I said to them. "She had been living in a mansion for the past months."

"Yeah, it's not, but it's built with your own two hands, with our hands. You put in your sweat for this," Jared stated.

"What if it's not enough?" I asked.

"Okay, Romeo, I'm really tired of this girly shit you're putting us through. Tanya's lucky enough that you thought of doing this for her. She will like this, and you know how I know? I met her and got to know her and Rachel was raving how great she is. She is not shallow and she will appreciate everything that was put into this place," Paul said, raising his voice up a notch.

"Thanks, Paul, I needed that," I said to him. He did have a really bad temper, but he sure knew how to put his point across.

"You're welcome," he said.

So here I was, Tanya's hand in mine, walking towards the house. There was no key since there was no lock. Tanya didn't need a lock; she never slept anyway.

"Why put a door, then?" Raleigh asked.

"Because it looks weird for a house not to have door," Daniel answered. "I swear, sometimes, you ask the stupidest questions."

"Oh, shut up!" Raleigh snarled.

"Hey, hey, knock it off. We don't want you knocking the house down," Quil called on the two of the younger members of the pack.

"How long before I can take this off my eyes?" Tanya asked which brought me back to the present.

"Not long," I said since I could see the cottage not far from where we were.

After a few minutes, we stood in front of the cottage. I saw Tanya's forehead scrunched up. "Are we meeting the pack or something?" she asked.

"No, it's just us."

"Huh, weird. I can smell them," she said.

"Oh, that. They helped me with the surprise," I said and took off the blindfold from her eyes. As soon as the scarf dropped on the ground, I heard her gasp. "Do you like it?"

"Did you…? How di… Whe…?" her questions were incoherent.

"The pack helped me build this. I thought you might want to have a place to call your own and I really prefer you being closer to me. I asked Carlisle and the Elders if I could built you a little house right at the border so you'll be closer to me and you won't feel like you're invading somebody else's place. Welcome to your new home," I said and opened the door. Tanya stood in front of the house and did not move. "Tanya?" I called to her. She looked at me with much love and adoration. For the second time that day, she ran to me and hugged me.

"Thank you, Embry, I love it!"

Those very words took away all the worries I had and healed all the blisters I got. Seeing how happy she was made all the hard work worthwhile. I couldn't have done all this without the pack, and because of that, I promised to myself that I would never turn my back on them again.


	26. Right Opportunity

A/N: Thanks for the reviews, favorites and alerts. Sorry that it took a while before I posted a new chapter and this was just filler. I was a bit under the weather last week so I didn't get very far.

Just a quick reminder that this story is Rated T.

**Disclaimer: **

**Characters based on Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. **

(Tanya POV)

Not long after I settled in my new home, summer rolled in and the Cullens came back to Forks for vacation. This was the perfect opportunity to learn how to cook. I wanted to surprise Embry with a mouth watering meal as an appreciating gesture for all the great things he had done for me, especially the house. I was going to ask Emily, but Embry was always around that he might suspect something was going on. He knew for a fact that I didn't eat any human food, what would he think if I started showing interest in learning?

I had to call Embry this morning to tell him that I needed to go to the Cullens because of Rosalie, but in reality, Esme and Bella were teaching me to cook. I was a good liar. That was something I developed over the decades of trying to seduce men to be with me. At first, it was for their blood, but later on in my life, it was just for their company. I did not like lying to Embry. It felt horrible. I didn't lie to him because I was trying to hide something awful, but I wanted to surprise him.

There wasn't much of a choice on what to cook since I didn't have a full kitchen in my house. I had a grill outside, but that was it. I wouldn't be able to cook a proper dinner for Embry; baking was not an option either since I didn't even have an oven. Esme and Bella decided to teach me some grilling recipes that would be easy to cook. It would just be a bit tricky since none of us could taste the food, good thing that Jacob was usually in their house to be our taster.

"He's one lucky mutt for you to be doing all of these," Rosalie said while she was flipping the car magazine. Esme, Bella and I were cutting up some bell peppers, onions and mushroom.

"You should come by to the house and see why this is the least I could do for him," I said.

"Yeah, I guess your right. I don't see Emmett building a house for me," Rosalie said with a far away look in her eyes.

"Look at the house I had you two built, you just ravaged the place in one of your so called honeymoons," Esme said and we all laughed. Rosalie and Emmett could never get enough of each other and I heard the story how their place fell apart.

"Have you done it?" Rosalie asked.

"No," I answered curtly.

"No? Why, Tanya, that is so unlike you," Rosalie teased.

"We're not like that, Rose. He's…different," I said with a smile. I used to have men lined up to be with me, but with Embry, it was different. It was not the physical needs that drew me to him. We had emotional connection that seemed to fill all our needs.

"This whole imprinting is so weird," Rosalie said.

"Yeah, it is, but I'm content on what we have right now. I'm not going to push us towards something that we're not ready to do," I said.

"Let him lead. I didn't get very far when I tried to with Edward," she said and we all laughed. We knew that Edward was always the gentleman and waited until they were married.

"Do you think Embry is the old fashion type?" I asked.

"I don't know. If he's like any of his friends, I want him to be old fashion," Bella answered.

"Yeah, Jacob better be old fashion; he got at least four people jumping on him if he ever makes a mistake," Rosalie said and we laughed.

After we prepared the food, Jacob came by to taste it. "What do you think?" I asked Jacob when he tasted the steak that we cooked with roasted vegetables.

"I'm jealous of Embry, I'll tell you that. This is great!" Jacob said and showed another piece of steak in his mouth.

"Taste just fine?" I asked. Jacob gave me two thumbs up. I was glad. All I needed was the right opportunity for me to surprise Embry.

**-----**

(Embry POV)

Jacob spent most of his time with Nessie and had limited time in La Push when they came back for summer vacation. It made having Tanya's place right at the border a lot easier. At least with that, we could meet at a place not so far from the Cullens and not far from La Push.

"It's great to have you back, Jacob," I said.

"How is it over there?" Quil asked. The three of us met up while Tanya hunted with the Cullens.

"Well, I'm done with my GED. I'm taking vocational classes this coming fall, Automotive Technician."

"Don't you know that stuff already? You built your Rabbit almost from the ground up," I said.

"I know," Jacob chuckled, "but I won't get hired for work without some kind of certification."

"I guess you're right. I can't believe you're back in school," Quil said.

"There's nothing else to do there, so might as well do something productive," Jacob said. "How are you and Tanya doing?" he asked me.

"We're great. My mom adores her and the other girls like having her around. Emily's really great with her," I said.

"Do they know?" Jacob asked and I shook my head. "I guess that's for the better."

"Yeah. It really helped that Emily knows though; she guides her on how to deal with the humans," I commented.

"How about you, Quil?" Jacob asked.

"I'm getting by. At least their done teasing me about imprinting on a kid; Claire was two when I imprinted on her. Collin imprinted on Salia when she was a day old," Quil chuckled.

"You should have seen Sam's face; it was priceless," I said.

"I bet," Jacob laughed.

We continued chatting about what happened with our lives during the time that Jacob wasn't there. It was great to have him back even just for a short time.

--

"Hey!" Tanya greeted when she came back from hunting. On her tail were the Cullens. "They wanted to see the house," she said.

"It's your house," I waved at her to lead them in. She smiled at me and showed them around. The women were still inside when Emmett, Edward and Carlisle went out.

"Looks good, Embry," Carlisle said. "How long did it take you?"

"A few months of working from morning to almost at night," I answered.

"Don't do it, Em," Edward said.

"What? It was a simple question," Emmett protested.

"None of you business," Edward argued.

"What is it?" I asked.

"You don't want to know," Edward warned.

"Well, I do," Emmett said. "Embry, listen, I couldn't help but notice that the bedroom only had a twin-size bed. How did you two do the 'deed' yet, if you get my drift?"

Thanks to my russet colored skin, I was sure I would have turned total red. Tanya and I never took our relationship to that level; I didn't even know how to proceed to any base aside from first base. "I'll take it from your silence that you guys haven't done it. Wow, you're slow," Emmett said and Edward jabbed his ribs. "Ow!"

"Don't mind him, Embry, he's just being an idiot," Edward said.

"Boys, enough," Carlisle said.

"Actually, I don't know how to even go from step one to step two," I said sheepishly.

"You're kidding!" Emmett exclaimed.

"Shhh!" Edward said. "They are just inside, you know."

"So, you're saying that you haven't been with any girl, at all?" Emmett asked.

"Hey, don't judge me, okay? I was crushing on this girl at school but before I could do anything, I phased and I didn't imprint on her," I snarled. Edward, Emmett and Carlisle looked sorrowful.

"I'm sorry that we caused you to phase," Carlisle apologized.

I realized what I said must have sounded like to them. They thought I was blaming them for not having my share of a normal life. Yes, it was because of their kind that I phased and became a werewolf. But without them, I wouldn't meet the woman who became the sun of my days and the moon of my nights. "Don't apologize, Carlisle. That's not what I meant. What I was trying to say is that I didn't have enough time in the playing field so I lack in 'experience'."

Emmett grinned devilishly, "That's where I come in."

Before Emmett could start with his 'lesson,' Bella called out, "Edward, I think our little angel's ready to go home." She stepped out of the house with Nessie lying in her arms.

"That's our cue," Edward said and got up to get their daughter from Bella's arms.

"Some other time, my student," Emmett snickered and I had to shake my head on that.

--

I barely slept that night. I tossed and turned on my bed. I couldn't help but think about what Emmett said. I was never with another girl aside from Tanya, but I knew she had been with other men before me. She had been alive for decades and she told me enough about her past. I couldn't help but envy those men. They had been with her the way that I hadn't been. I knew I shouldn't be mad; most of them were probably dead by now.

I knew why I never moved our relationship to the next level. I never thought of rejection since I knew that she loved me as much as I loved him. However, the stories of our tribe were not to be taken lightly. As much as I loved her, she was still a vampire and her venom was still my poison. I couldn't help but think that sleeping with her might cause me my life, and hers, if the pack found out the cause of my death.

"Maybe you should ask Carlisle," Jacob suggested when I was talking to him and Quil. It was hard bringing it up with them since both of their imprints were still young. I thought of asking Paul and Jared, but we were not close like Jacob and Quil that I didn't feel comfortable talking about this with them.

"How do I even bring it up? 'So, Carlisle, I was thinking of sleeping with Tanya, but I just want to make sure I'll live to the end of it. Your thoughts?' It doesn't sound good," I said and we all laughed.

"Geez, if you put it that way, it sounds awful," Quil said.

"You guys kissed already, right?" Jacob asked.

"Yeah, but no French kissing. I don't want to cut my tongue in the process," I joked. "But seriously, how do I ask Carlisle about it without sounding stupid or eager?"

"I don't know, just ask directly, I guess," Jacob suggested. "Honesty is the best policy, you know."

--

I took the opportunity when Emmett and Rosalie were occupied to talk to Carlisle. He took skin samples and blood from me and tested his venom to check if there would be any damage.

"As far as I understood, our venom is poison to your internal system, but not to the surface. It would be bad if you had it in your bloodstream. I applied some venom in your blood and it all the micro-organism died instantly. As for your skin, nothing happened," Carlisle said while looking at the microscope. "Tell me, when we were fighting the newborns, did you get any of their venom on your fur?" he asked.

I thought back to those years back then when we had to fight a newborn army created by Victoria. We trained with Jasper on how to attack and kill vampires. We had to bite them and tore them in bits and pieces then burn them to make sure they were dead. "Come to think of it, I did have contact with venom before when I bit into them. I never had any cut so there was no direct contact other than my outer skin."

"That's good then. Based on this observation under the 'scope, I would say you're safe to sleep with Tanya," Carlisle said.

"I would appreciate it if this is going to be just between us," I requested.

"Doctor/patient confidentiality. I can't promise anything in terms of Edward, but Emmett will not hear anything about this," Carlisle shook my hand before I left. All I needed was the right opportunity for us to take the next step of our relationship.

--

A/N: I debated a bit about putting this chapter here but I thought that there should be some romance between the two. If you want me to go further with it, let me know. If you want me to just move on to the time line, let me know as well. Your thoughts always count. Reminder though that this is only Rated T so no explicit scenes.


	27. Reality Bites

A/N: Taken into consideration, there would be some romance between Embry and Tanya but how far is still undecided. There was a suggestion that I was really considering.

Fadingdeath mentioned that the story seemed like it's nearing the conclusion. Honestly, I don't know how far this will go but there is still something big in store for this story. When I get close to that, I will let you know how long before this story ends, but a promise to you is that it is going to be a sweet one.

Thanks for the reviews. This story is almost close to 100 reviews. Please post those reviews!

**Disclaimer: **

**Characters based on Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. **

(Tanya POV)

Summer quickly passed and before I knew it, the Cullens were off to fly back to Hanover. I felt a little bit sadden because it was nice to have people of my kind around. I never admitted it to Embry, but I missed my family terribly. I talked to Kate everyday, but since I spent countless years with her before made being here by myself a bit harder.

I slowly went back to my routine before summer came. I started going to Emily's house again and also visited Lana. I went to Lana's house at least once a week during the summer, but only at night. Now that the day was getting shorter, it was giving me more time to be outside.

"We missed having you around," Rachel said.

"Embry said you have very sensitive skin that you can't go out when the sun's up," Kim said.

"It would probably be okay if I wear long sleeves, but wouldn't it look weird that the sun's so high up in the sky and it's hot then I'm waking around with long sleeves," I joked and they laughed.

"It's too bad you didn't get to hang out with us when we went to First Beach," Layle said. With that, I was part of the group again.

--

Embry was always around and it was hard for me to keep him away from the house so that I could prepare the surprise for him. There was no way I could hide the food I was going to cook, especially since the grill was outside the house. I contemplated and decided that I couldn't pull this off on my own.

"Emily, I need your help," I said to Emily in one of our gatherings in their home. "I need you to find a way to keep Embry away from my place for a day. I'm planning to cook dinner for him and I wanted it to be surprise."

"That sounds wonderful, Tanya. How did you learn to cook?" Emily asked.

"Aside from observing you, Esme and Bella thought me when they were here. It was a bit tricky since none of us could taste it so we needed Jacob's help on that part. I think I got it right, but I can't do it with Embry hovering around. You think you can help me?"

"We'll need Sam's help with this," Emily suggested. "Are you okay with that?"

"Just Sam, no one else. I'm worried that if more people find out, Embry will figure it out. I thought of asking Quil but when he gets excited, he becomes a bit chatty," I chuckled.

"And you can easily bribe him with food, too, so yeah, it won't be ideal to ask him," Emily laughed. "When are you planning on doing this?"

"I've been planning since the Cullens left but it's been over a week and I still haven't done it. I'm hoping by October, the plan will move along," I said. "How about you talk to Sam then let me know when he could drag Embry away from visiting the house."

"That sounds like a plan. Is there anything else that you need?" she asked.

"That should be it. Thanks, Emily, bless your heart," I said sincerely.

"That's what friends are for, Tanya," she said with a genuine smile and I was happy to have a friend like Emily.

--

It took about a week before Emily told me that Sam had a plan. He dragged Embry and some of the others to go fishing. If there was an activity that would take a whole day and would require an early day, it would be that. I thanked Sam profusely for his idea.

Embry was not happy with the trip, but I told him that he should bond with the guys since I spent most of my time bonding with the girls. He obliged grudgingly. I started my day as soon as they left for their trip. I went to town and bought the ingredients for Embry's meal; steak, portabella mushroom, red and green bell peppers, corn and spices. I was a bit nervous since this would be my first time in preparing a meal all by myself and I wasn't so sure if I would get it right. Regardless, it was now or never.

--

"Tanya, what's going on?" Embry asked when he arrived at the house. "Sam said to go here directly as soon as we arrived, then I smell food. Did you have any visitor?"

"No, silly. Nobody came by," I said.

"Why do I smell steak?" Embry asked suspiciously.

"Because maybe I cooked for you," I said and led him to the living room where I set up the food on the coffee table. "It's not much of a presentation since I don't really have the right stuff, but I hope this will do."

"You did this?" he asked.

"It's the least I could do to thank you for building me this beautiful house," I pointed the sofa and he sat down. "Now, why don't you take a bite and tell me honestly how it tastes like." He took the knife and fork and started cutting up the meat.

"Whern did you lear to crook?" he asked with a mouthful of food.

"Chew then talk," I giggled. "Esme and Bella thought me how. Do you like it?"

He shoved another piece in his mouth and gave me two thumbs up, "Don terr Emiry, but thish ish better." He finished the steak, vegetables and corn in no time. He also finished the two-liter soda that I bought for him to drink.

"You, my darling, can definitely cook," he said after washing his hands from the bathroom. "I shouldn't have skipped the kitchen. Maybe we should remodel."

"Oh stop, the grill is fine. If you remodel, then I would need to come up with another recipe as another thank you," I teased.

"I can think of another way to thank me," he said with adoration in his eyes. He held my hand and led me to sit on the sofa. He kissed me lightly at first. He moved his arms from my hands and started to rub my arms then he rested his hands on my back. When he deepened the kiss, I pushed him back. It was unexpected. I didn't realize that I pushed him hard that he was detached to me and ended on the wall. "Ow!" he exclaimed.

"I'm so sorry, Embry. It's a reflex. You surprised me. You need to warn me before you that," I got up and helped him to set on his feet. As much as I wanted to kiss him in return, the thought of my venom being poison to him took over. I had been careful when we kiss. I had to make sure that my sharp teeth would not cut his lips.

"You've done this before, right?" he asked with a hurt look in his eyes.

"Yes, but I, uhm, used to leading. I was always careful with the humans because I don't what to be taken by surprise, like right now," I explained sheepishly and looked down. "I'm so sorry."

He held my face on his warm hands and brushed off the hair on my face, "I'm the one who should be apologizing. I should have warned you." He kissed my forehead and hugged me. I knew the moment was lost.

-----

(Embry POV)

What was wrong with me? I practically attacked Tanya when I tried to deepen our kiss. What did I get? I got pushed on the wall. Of course she was surprised. We never talked about moving our relationship to the next level, and then there I was attacking her lips.

It was stupid. I shouldn't have listened to Emmett. Why did I listen to him in the first place? Oh yeah, because I was an idiot. Emmett decided that I should hint Tanya on moving along with our physical relationship beyond hugging and kissing.

"Shouldn't I ask her about it first?" I asked Emmett.

"No, girls like it when you take the lead, take them by surprise," he said. "You just have to take it easy and be cool with it. Don't act desperate, though. Just go with the flow. Start with extra touching when you guys are kissing then deepen the kiss then start moving your hands then see where that will get you." Yeah, see where that got me. That move got me pushed on the well. 'Take them by surprise', very smooth, Emmett, very smooth.

"Why don't we just watch a movie?" I suggested to Tanya since the moment of passion was gone between us.

"Uh, sure," she said and grabbed a movie. When she settled on the sofa with me, the movie was a comedy, of course. After our incident earlier, the last thing she would want to watch was romance that might put us in an awkward situation.

--

Everything changed after that night. Tanya and I decided that it would be good if she had a small fridge in her house so that she could store some items to cook. She cooked for me at least once a week, and sometimes brought over food for my mom. My mom adored her even more, if that was possible.

Unfortunately, the moments of intimacy also changed. I never dared to move towards the next step and Tanya never showed interest with it as well. I felt that we were both scared of the situation. We resumed back to regular kissing, but none of us attempted to deepen the kiss we shared. There were times that the moment felt right, but I wanted Tanya to lead, which she never did.

"Tanya, I want to ask you something. If you don't want to answer, that's fine, I'll understand. I just want to know something," I finally asked her one night when weeks passed without any of us leading to further intimacy.

"What is it?"

"I don't want to sound too eager or anything, but I was just wondering if you're feeling the same tension that I'm feeling every time we're together," I said in one breath. I was nervous that if I stopped and thought about what I was about to say, I would chicken out.

Tanya sat in front of me and did not move nor opened her mouth for a few seconds. She looked at me intently, as if trying to find the answer in my eyes. "Embry," she finally said, I didn't know how long passed before she did. "I love you and I feel the same, it's just that I'm scared." She looked down. I lifted her face and from the look on her face, I knew she would have tears if she could cry.

"Why are you scared?"

"My venom is poison to you, Embry. I've had my share of close encounters with the men I had been with before and just the thought of me losing that control scares me," she explained. She looked away and left my hand hanging. She stood up and walked a few steps away from me before she continued to speak. "There were a few times, after I became I vegetarian, that I accidentally bit on the man I was with. He just got lucky that I was quick to react. I sucked my venom out before it spread to his system," she spoke in a low voice. "I couldn't take that chance with you, Embry. Once my venom enters your body, I will lose you. I can't, I can't imagine…I just," I didn't let her finish. I wrapped my arms around her and she held on to me as if her life defended on it.

"Shh, Tanya, I understand. I love you," I whispered. All this time I thought she didn't feel the same attraction to me, when in reality, all she was doing was protect me. From here on, I knew we would need to take time before we take another step, but I was willing to wait. No more stupidity from my part, just love and understanding.


	28. Family Visit

A/N: I know I just said from the last update that I don't know when the end for this story is coming but when I checked the plot, it looked like this story is close to the end. I don't know how many more chapters are coming since I usually let my mind do the work, sometimes it goes on and on and sometimes I get stomped. All I can say I stay tuned for more :D

100+ reviews? Really? You're too kind!

**Disclaimer: **

**Characters based on Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. **

(Tanya POV)

"KATE!" I exclaimed when I saw my sister. My family from Alaska promised to come down for the holidays. Weeks quickly passed and the end of another year was about to come. Last year was a dreaded new year for me because of what happened with me and Embry, but this coming year was different. Not only would I spend it with my family, I would be able to spend the new year with the man I love.

"Tanya!" Kate squealed and we hugged each other. "I missed you, sis."

"Kate, you have to share," Carmen said from behind Kate.

"Oh, Carmen," I said and hugged her and Eleazar at the same time. "Now, where is my brother-in-law?" Just as soon as I asked, Garrett appeared from the car with bags. "Garrett!" I jumped and hugged him which made him drop the bags.

"I miss you, too, Tanya," he chuckled.

"Sorry about the bags," I said and let him go. "So, this is my new place. It's small, but I'm the only one who lives here so I don't really need a big place." I showed them around the house. It became a bit crowded with all five of us in there.

"Embry built this?" Kate asked.

"With the help of the pack, yes," I said smugly. I was proud to show off the house to others.

"Impressive," Garrett said.

"You have a fridge, but no kitchen?" Carmen observed.

"The fridge is a new addition; I just started cooking for him," I said.

"Did you say 'cooking'?" Kate asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Yes, my dear sister, I learned how to cook."

"Best way to a man's heart is through his stomach," Eleazar said and we all laughed.

--

It was great to have my family visit me, although it worried the Elders. Having vampires close to La Push caused for boys with genes to phase. Even though it was to the benefit of the pack for new werewolves to surface, it could be difficult for the boys who would phase to understand. There were also their families to think about. Not all of the families in La Push were aware of the existence of werewolves. Embry was lucky enough that Lana knew the truth about him, although she was not very well pleased with what happened with him.

"I'm just worried for any boy who's not ready to phase," Sue expressed her opinion when the Elders were gathered with me and Embry to discuss the upcoming visit of my family from Alaska. Embry told me that Seth and Leah phased at the same time in front of Sue and their father which caused him to have a heart attack and died. The memories might have been lingering in Sue's mind even though she was already with Charlie now.

"But who was ever ready when they phased? Before those boys did, none of them even know about the existence of werewolves," Sam said. "I was on my own when I phased but I figured it out. At least now, there are the others to help."

"Tanya, I don't have anything against your family, but I'm just a bit worried that the other kids might phase for no reason. I understand that your family is no threat to us, but them closer to the border than before might trigger the phasing," Sue addressed me directly.

"I understand, Sue. If it cause so much conflict, I would just have them stay at the Cullen's house," I said.

"How come nobody phased when the Cullens visited Tanya's house last summer?" Embry asked.

"I think Embry is up to something. The Cullens have familiar scent to our kind that they did not pose any more threat. I think the same goes for Tanya's family. The pack encountered them before. They were here when Nessie turned one," Billy said. "What do you think, Old Quil?"

"I'm sorry, Sue, but I don't see any threat of phasing," Old Quil said.

Sue nodded in agreement, "I guess you're right." Thanks to the Elders, my family was allowed to stay with me in my house.

--

I felt bad for Garrett; he started to feel like a third wheel since Kate and I became inseparable during their visit. I practically took all her time. "I miss my sister too much," was the excuse we usually give him and being a great husband and brother-in-law, he did not complain.

"You've been off lately," Kate said while we were hunting up in the mountains.

"You noticed, huh?" I said with a half-smile.

"We may be away from each other for almost a year, but that doesn't take away my sisterly instinct. What's up?" she asked.

There was no use hiding my concern. Kate knew me inside and out. Even when Irina was alive, I was a lot closer to Kate, maybe because we liked a lot of things in common. "It's Embry," I said.

It was a mistake to stop when I did. I should have said something else because Kate stopped on her tracks and started fuming, "What did that mongrel do now? I swear I'll kill him. I told him that if he ever hurts you, he'll answer to me."

"Kate, relax, it's not like that," I tried to calm her down. "Embry had done everything right."

"And you're sick and tired of this perfect life?"

"No. Geez, stop assuming," I said, a bit annoyed.

"Well then stop talking in riddles and tell me what the matter is," she exhaled.

"I would if you'll stop interrupting," I said. We looked at each other and laughed. "Seriously, sometimes your mouth goes overdrive; you won't even let me speak." We stopped and sat on a fallen tree, "We haven't done it yet."

"What do you mean?" Kate asked. I looked at her then it clicked, "Oh my, he's gay!"

"No! He is anything but gay. He likes girls, trust me on that," I said.

"Well, if he's not, then what's wrong with him? I'm not going to say this because you're my sister, but because it's the truth, you're hot. Heck, I'll even go beyond that and say you're hotter than me. You had no idea how long I thought Edward was gay for turning you down," she chuckled. This was the thing I missed the most about Kate, her sense of humor.

"I know, you told me that. Thank goodness he met Bella, right? Anyway, back to the topic. Embry's not gay. He actually made a move already, but I turned him down," I said.

"What the heck happened to you? Who are you and what have you done to my sister?" she said then laughed. "Embry's no Edward; he's no Garrett either, but he's pretty good looking."

"Yeah, really, what's wrong with me, right? I'm just scared. What if I accidentally bite him?" I said and looked far away.

Kate scooted over and wrapped her arms around me, "You remembered Percival, didn't you?" I nodded. "That was a bit traumatic for you, I remember. It was only a few years when we started feeding on animals when you started seeing him. I still didn't know how you controlled yourself from killing him, but it was a wonderful thing that you did when you sucked the venom out."

"Almost killed him in the process, though," I said.

"But you didn't. It took awhile before you got over the incident, but it never happened after that. You didn't hurt anyone else. Is that what you're worried about? You won't hurt Embry," Kate said.

"I told myself I would never hurt Percival either, and what happened? I accidentally bit him. If I do that to Embry, there's no turning back; there's no making it right. I could kill him," I said with a sad voice.

"You love him, don't you?" Kate asked. Why she asked that question, I didn't know. She knew very well how much I loved Embry. I just nodded in response. "Then you shouldn't worry about it. You love him enough for you to be aware of the things that could hurt him. Don't shut off the feelings you have inside because of fear. Don't let it eat you up. Intimacy is part of your relationship with Embry, don't deprive both of you. It will take time before you'll be able to fully let go, but it will come."

"Thanks, Kate," I hugged her. "I really miss having you around."

"Me, too, sis. Me, too."

--

"Hey," Embry greeted.

"Hi," I greeted him back and kissed his lips.

"It's quiet," he observed. My family always cramped in my house, although it was a bit small, so that we could spend more time together.

"Kate went to the Cullens to borrow some DVDs. Garrett, Carmen and Eleazar went hunting," I said.

"About time I have you all to myself," he teased and wrapped his arms around my waist.

"You're not jealous of my family, are you?"

"I got used to spending hours with you and you alone that it feels a bit different with them around. And no offense, they stink," he joked.

"Oh, stop. They don't stink; I smell like them," I protested.

"I got used to your stench; having them around is overpowering," he chuckled and I pushed him lightly.

"Well, you smell like a wet dog," I stuck my tongue at him.

"You take that back," he said and looked at me like he was getting ready to pounce. Before I had a chance to move, he jumped on me and we landed on the sofa. We stared at each others eyes and lost ourselves. We kissed lightly at first then I slowly pulled him closer. I was careful of my every movement, every stroke and every caress. He moved his arms to wrap me closer to him when the door slammed open.

"I found the perfect chick-flick," Kate announced. Embry and I groaned in unison. "Ooppsss," she gasped when she saw us. "I can come back later," she said and started backing away.

"Come on in," Embry said and got up. "I was just checking on Tanya. I need to patrol tonight anyway," he said and gave me a peck before he left.

"I am so sorry," Kate said when Embry left. "I knew I should have gone with the others." I just shook my head in dismay. Another moment lost.

--

It was funny how after my family left, Embry and I still didn't have our chance to share an intimate moment together. When my family left, I spent most of my days either with the girls at Emily's house or with Lana. Embry wasn't too please by their demands for my company, but I enjoyed my time with the others.

Winter quickly passed and spring rolled in. The days was getting longer and the nights were shorter. My time with the girls started to become limited and I was usually left alone in the house. Embry did not get to spend time with me since Sam and Emily decided to expand their house with Salia growing up. I hated being alone all the time, but Embry promised to spend late nights with me. It was a good promise until he kept falling asleep every time he arrived. Quality time spent together was him sleeping with his head on my lap.

"We're almost done with the house, just bear with me," Embry pleaded when I wanted us to spend a day at the clearing. "I really can't say no to Sam since he helped a great deal with your house."

"I know, it's just that I miss you. You're here every night but you just fall asleep. We don't even talk anymore," I pouted.

"I know, Tanya. But I promise I will make it up to you. How about a vacation after we finish the house?" Embry said and my face lit up.

"Okay, after you finish the house, we're going up to Alaska to visit my family and we will stay there for a month."

"That's a long time," he said but took it back when I raised my eyebrow. "A month sounds good. I'll talk to Quil and the others about it, okay?" He gave me a peck on the lips and ran to get back to Sam's house. I couldn't wait for Sam's house to be finished already.


	29. Vacation

A/N: Thanks for the reviews. Special shout out to Daniel White and to leydyan22, who kinda freaked me out because she was thinking exactly what I was thinking about Tanya's house.

**Disclaimer: **

**Characters based on Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. **

(Tanya POV)

I felt like a silly little girl, flitting around my room as I packed some clothes. I really didn't need to pack anything since I had most of my things left in Alaska, but packing made this vacation more real. Embry and the others finally finished Sam's house before summer officially kicked in. Emily said it was a good thing since it would be too hot to work from morning to night, and the pack would be too distracted thinking about First Beach.

"I'm starting to feel bad that we're going to Alaska," I said to Emily when she visited me in my house. She was helping me clean up around the house while Collin baby sat Salia outside; Embry, Sam and Quil were talking about the responsibilities that Quil would need to take over while Embry and I go to Alaska.

"Why is that?" Emily asked.

"Well, instead of Embry spending his time with the others in First Beach, he'll be spending it in a place that only see sun once in a blue moon," I answered. "Unless he feels like swimming in ice cold water, I don't think he's going to enjoy this vacation."

"You are planning to spend time with him there, right?" Emily asked. I looked at her and I just had to stop myself from saying 'duh.' Seriously, what kind of a question was that, but since Emily was the best girl friend I had now, I simply nodded. "He's going to have a good time. Just thinking about you makes him smile, how much more spending time with you? Besides, you both need this little vacation. He's been working with Sam for months and you guys barely had time for each other."

"You're very good at that," I smiled at her.

"At what?"

"Making me feel better. Thank you."

"You're one of us now, don't forget that," Emily patted my shoulder before we head outside to join the others.

--

"Are you sure they're okay with this?" Embry asked for the hundredth time.

"Yes, I am," I answered him again. The Cullens called a few days before we planned to leave for Alaska and said that they wouldn't be coming home this summer, something about Bella and Edward taking summer classes. I asked Carlisle if it would be fine if I borrowed his car for our drive to Alaska. I picked his car because it has the darkest windows and it was a Mercedes-Benz. I personally thought it was the best brand out there.

"And you told them that you're driving?" Embry asked. Again.

"They drive as fast as me, you know," I snarled at him. He had been eyeing the speedometer as I zoomed on the road. We left Forks in middle of the night to avoid the sun and the cars on the freeway.

"Can you at least slow down? I know we're both pretty indestructible and all, but if we crash, I'll get bruises and broken bones, you won't."

I rolled my eyes at him and dropped the speed from 150 to 120 miles per hour. "Happy?" He ignored me and closed his eyes instead.

--

It took a little over than a whole day for our trip. It was the longest trip of my life. I was so used to trekking the road from Alaska to Washington in twenty-four hours tops, but since we had some pit stops for food and stretching and what have you, the trip was a bit longer than my usual.

"Finally," Embry exclaimed when I parked the car in front of my home in Alaska. He jumped off and stretched his legs and arms.

"Stop exaggerating!"

"Because you can stay still for days don't mean I can," he said as he rotated his head in forward and back.

"Stop your bickering at each other and get in here," Kate called out from inside the house. Embry chuckled and pulled out our bags from the trunk. He effortlessly grabbed everything in his left arm and wrapped his right around my waist. If I didn't know better, I would think he was a vampire with his strength.

--

I led Embry to my bedroom. He looked around as he set the bags by the bed. He picked up the frame by lamp. "When was this taken?" he asked.

"Too long to remember," I said. I remembered the picture well. It was a picture that Sasha, our 'mother,' took a few years before the Volturi killed her. She wasn't on the picture, but knowing that she took that shot meant that she really existed. I had that picture beside the lamp so that I would see it every time I walked in my room. After Irina died, it became a memory of the two people I lost.

"Irina's pretty," Embry said and put the picture back on the side table. I couldn't agree with him more. Although Irina insisted that I was the prettiest among the three of us, she was alluring and had the best appeal towards the opposite sex. That might have been the reason why Laurent became very interested in her.

"Yeah, I know," I said shortly after he put the frame back down.

"How come I don't have a picture here?" he asked.

I chuckled and he looked at me, hurt. "Embry, the last time I went back home was because I ran away from you. I didn't exactly have a picture of you with me when that happened, and besides, I wouldn't want to put a reminder of you in my room back then." I moved towards him and wrapped my hands around his waist, "But if it bothers you that much, let's take a picture of us then we'll put one here, one in my house and you have to put one in your room, too."

"Sounds good to me," Embry said and kissed the top of my head as he wrapped his arms around me. I looked up to him and saw him looking down at me with smoldering eyes. I moved my arms from his waist to his neck as he leaned down to kiss me, which didn't get close to making out because there was a knock on the door.

"We are seriously not going to have an alone time, ever," I groaned. I took my arms of Embry and walked towards the door.

"Oh, good, he's still awake. We're worried that he might have fallen asleep already. Carmen prepared dinner," Eleazar said.

"Thanks," I mumbled before I closed the door. I wanted to slam the door at his face but since he didn't know what we were doing behind closed doors, he couldn't be blame for interrupting what could have been a make-out session, right?

"I should have just pretended to be sleeping," Embry chuckled when he saw how pissed I looked.

"Shut up and let's go," I grumbled as I led him down to the kitchen.

-----

(Embry POV)

"How does it feel to be back here?" Garrett asked. Tanya, Kate and Carmen hunted together, which left me with Garrett and Eleazar.

"It's different. I don't really want to remember the previous one," I said and laughed. It was not a pleasant memory to remember that I passed out in the woods while running after the love of my life then have her carry me back home, naked.

"I see that things are working out fine between you and Tanya," Eleazar said.

"The house is a good one, by the way. I still haven't figured out how to top that," Garrett said and we laughed.

"I don't think you need to, though. Tanya told me about the ring you gave Kate," I said then I looked at Eleazar. "She also told me about you leaving the Volturi to be with Carmen. With the things that you did for your women, the house was the closest thing I could do."

Eleazar patted my back, "You're doing a good job, Embry. All these years I had been with them, I've never seen Tanya this happy. She doesn't even need to smile; her eyes tell it all."

"Well, if that's the case, I can't wait for us to get back home," I said.

"Bored already?" Garrett asked.

I shook my head and smiled, "I have a surprise waiting for her."

"You're making it harder for us to top off your romantic skills," Garrett chuckled.

--

"We are so not going to have any sexy time while we're here," Tanya groaned while we were making out. It had been a week and this was the first alone time we had after that interrupted kiss when we arrived.

"What? I didn't hear anything," I said.

"You didn't, but I did," she said and pointed to her ears. "Stupid vampire hearing."

"What's going on?" I asked and finally got off her and lay down beside her.

"Kate is giggling and telling the others not to come up here because we're making out," Tanya groaned again.

"You mean they can hear us?" I asked; which made me look stupid because Tanya pointed to her ear as she made her point. "Right. This sucks."

"Tell me about it," Tanya grumbled and got up. If she knew that this vacation would just leave us this frustrated, she might have reconsidered the destination.

--

I promised Tanya that I would enjoy this vacation, but not having an alone time with her for more than five minutes was getting on both our nerves so we decided that it would just be best to go out and have some outdoor fun.

Thanks to my always warm body temperature, the cold weather didn't bother me. I even dragged her to swim on ice water, which became our daily activity for the rest of our vacation. It was the only time we were alone since none of her family thought it was a good idea for us to be out there when it was freezing. I didn't understand why they even cared when their bodies were always freezing cold. "It's not a normal thing for people to go swimming in freezing water," Kate said. I was just glad that when I told Tanya it would be our only alone time, she did not think twice and joined me.

However, even though her family was not with us, we still didn't have the sexy time that we were hoping for. How weird would it be if we started making out in blocks of ice? Just imagine two people kissing while one of them was stuck underneath and pinned down on freezing surface. That, I would have to say, was not normal.

--

When our last week rolled in, I started counting the days. We would be heading home soon and I couldn't wait to show Tanya the surprise I had planned with Sam and Quil before we left Forks. I told her that I had to check on the pack almost every night. What I didn't tell her was that I was checking on the project that they were working on.

While we were expanding Sam's house, I told the others about Tanya's acquired skills in cooking and wanted to expand her house as well. I wanted to add suitable kitchen in the house and a little dining area so that we wouldn't have to put the food in the living room anymore. Sam drew the plan and said it would only take three weeks tops to expand since the plumbing could be easily redirected from the bathroom.

Every night, Quil went to the house and showed me the progress. They covered the area that led to the living room and bedroom so that it wouldn't catch any dust. Those would remain untouched anyway so there was no need to mess those up.

_The place looks good. Tell the others thanks._

_Just get your butt here and make sure that Tanya cooks us a feast in her new kitchen_, Quil chuckled in his head.

_I'm pretty sure she'll be happy to have all of you over once she sees it._

I couldn't wait to show Tanya her house for a second surprise.


	30. Surprise

**Disclaimer: **

**Characters based on Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. **

(Embry POV)

I only slept for a couple of hours on our way back to Forks. It was a tiring trip but I was too energized with the thought of another surprise for Tanya. Quil said that the house was finished; they built a kitchen for her and I was looking forward to showing that to Tanya. Quil said to meet him first before we go to the house, so I told Tanya to drive directly to La Push.

"Hey, how's the trip?" Quil asked when we arrived at his house.

"Long," I answered. I noticed that Sam was also there with Emily and Salia.

"They want to come with," Quil explained and we loaded the car.

Tanya had been asking why we needed to pick up Quil before going to her house. I said that it was something about wanting to show us something. When Quil suddenly exchanged looks with Sam and Emily, I started to suspect that they were up to something. When we arrived, the house was covered in a big blue tarp.

"What happened to the house?" Tanya asked.

Before I could say anything, Quil interrupted, "We've done some remodeling." Sam started pulling the tarp away. What I saw was unexpected.

I recognized the side since it was what we initially planned. The front door was slightly pushed farther to accommodate a little area for the living room expansion that would adjoin as the dining area. Beside it was the new kitchen. What I wasn't expecting was that the house was also pushed to the back, which looked like the area of Tanya's bedroom.

"What did you guys do?" Tanya asked.

"I should be able to explain some parts of it," I said to Tanya. "I figured that since you learned to cook, you'll need a kitchen. They expanded the house to add a kitchen and a dining area. It's not as big as Emily's but I hope it'll be enough."

"You didn't have to," Tanya said with a big smile on her face.

"Yes, we do," I said to her and kissed her forehead. I then turned to Quil, "That," I pointed at the back, "wasn't part of the original plan."

"Her bedroom's too small," Quil said and shrugged his shoulders.

I took Tanya's hand and we went inside. We were followed by our guests. The place looked great. Tanya ran her hands on the small kitchen counter, the stove and the sink. The fridge that we bought was placed in the kitchen. She turned to the dining area with a room for four. She looked at me and mouthed 'thank you.' She started walking towards the bedroom, which was totally new to me as well. I was surprised to see that the room doubled in size and the twin bed was replaced by a full-size bed.

"What did you do here?" I asked Sam.

"We figured that if you want to take a nap, at least you both can lie down on the bed," Sam said and chuckled. If I didn't know better, I would think he had a little talk with Emmett.

Tanya made her way to Quil and Sam and hugged them, "Thank you, this is wonderful."

"How about you cook us up a feast one of these days?" Quil said.

"I will," Tanya answered then turned to Emily, "I'll need you to teach me to cook."

"With pleasure," Emily winked at her.

"You should rest. You had a long trip," Quil said and headed out.

"I'll drive you back," I volunteered and took the keys from Tanya. "I'll be back," I pecked her lips and headed out.

--

"How was it while I was gone?" I asked Quil after I dropped off Sam, Emily and Salia.

"It was good; no conflict whatsoever. I took over your patrol team. I moved Janus with Collin and Brady. Collin did a good job leading that patrol," Quil said. "He must really grow up since he imprinted on Salia."

"That's good to hear. I guess that's what happens when you imprint on an Elder's daughter," I chuckled and Quil joined in. "So, who's patrolling tonight?"

"Paul's team," he answered.

"Good, at least I have two nights of rest," I said. After a few seconds of silence, I started a different topic, "About the house, I ju..."

Quil interrupted, "It was Sam's idea and everyone agreed to expand it. We can't imagine you taking a nap on the sofa before your patrol. The boys can feel your body aching every time."

I chuckled. Every time I left Tanya's house, my back was always hurting because sleeping on the sofa was not the most comfortable thing to do. I didn't want to lie down the bed since it was too small to hold two people. "Thanks for thanking my body into consideration."

"And Jacob mentioned something about Emmett teasing you about the small bed," he laughed and I couldn't help but join him.

--

September came quickly and the breeze started to pick up. Summer was soon over and the longer days started coming. I stopped caring much for summer since I spent most of my time with Tanya. Once in a while, I went with the others to First Beach, but I preferred to stay at home with Tanya. She, in turn, made our time worthwhile. She cooked delicious meal for me and the pack. She read stories to me like I was a little child. She gave me back massages when my body aches. She would pack up some food for me when we spent our day on the clearing. She was my personal angel.

"Embry, could you taste this, please?" she asked while she stirred the pot of the stew she was cooking.

"Is this a new recipe?" I asked. She shook her head. I took a sip of the stew and gave her thumbs up, "It's good. If it's not new, why are you asking me about the taste?"

"I told Lana I'm brining dinner at your house," she said as she turned off the stove.

"She already likes you more than she likes me. If you feed her that, she might disown me and take you in instead," I joked and helped her transfer the food in a container.

We went to my house using an old car that we purchased so we wouldn't have to keep using Carlisle's Mercedes or Jacob's Rabbit. Since the trip between the border and La Push was pretty close, it was handy to have an old car for little trips like this. It would also help to hide Tanya's sparkling skin during the days when the sun was out.

"Who's in your house?" Tanya asked as soon as we stepped out of the car.

"I don't know. I don't see anybody," I said while I looked by the front door.

"Two females; I can smell them from here," she said.

"Why don't we go in and find out?" I said, took the container from her hands and led her to the house.

The living room was empty but I could voices from the kitchen. Tanya was right, there were two female voices that I heard before but I couldn't remember whose. I saw my mom from the doorway and she said, "He's here now." I stepped in to the kitchen.

"Surprise!" one female exclaimed as soon as I set the container on the counter.

I turned around and was greeted by a hug. I patted her back to signal her to let go. I looked at Tanya, who was standing by the door frame; she was not pleased. I signaled her that I didn't know who was hugging me. When hugging girl finally let go, I looked at her and recognized her, "Dee?"

"I thought you forgot who I was," she squealed and jumped up to hug me again. This time I was smiling and hugged her back. I looked at the old lady my mother was talking to.

"Ursula," I said and when Dee let go, I hugged her mother.

"Embry, how are you?" Ursula asked.

"Great, great. Mom didn't say anything about you coming over," I said.

"It was a sudden decision," Dee said and hugged my waist. I instinctively put my arm around her waist.

I saw a sudden movement at the doorway and saw Tanya had her arms across her chest. She had her eyes glued on my waist and my arm around Dee. Shit! I quickly put my arm off Dee's shoulders, maneuvered to take her arms off my waist and walked towards Tanya. I placed my arm over her shoulder but she didn't move, at all. She was stiff and I knew I was in big trouble. "Tanya, I'd like you to meet my mom's best friend from Neah Bay, Ursula, and her daughter, Diana. Ladies, this is my girlfriend, Tanya."

Tanya extended her to both ladies and shook their hands, "Pleased to meet you." Dee didn't look pleased but shook Tanya's hand anyway.

"Let's get dinner started," my mom said. "Tanya made this," she said as she placed the stew on the table.

"Mom, Tanya and I already ate before we left her house," I said.

"I would have brought more if I knew you have company," Tanya said to my mom. She shook my arm off her and helped my mom in serving the food.

"You must sit with us, though. We have catching up to do," Dee said. The dining table only had room for four and with the three ladies already situated, if I sat down, there would be no room for Tanya. I declined, but Tanya had an idea of her own.

"Go ahead and join them. I just came by to drop off the food. I need to get back; I was in the middle of something," I knew it was a lie. We planned on spending the night with my mom. "It was great meeting the two of you," she nodded to Dee and Ursula. "Lana, let me know what you think, okay?" she hugged my mom.

I walked Tanya to the car. I held the door for her and asked, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she said and gave me a peck on the cheek. When Tanya was excited, she would kiss me on the cheek, it would linger, never just a peck. This was the first time she pecked me on the cheek, not a good sign.

"I'll see you later," I said. She just shrugged and got in the car and drove off. That was a worse sign.

I must have been standing outside for a while since Dee came out and grabbed my arm, "Embry, come on, our moms are waiting for you so we could start dinner." I let her pull me from my position and followed her to the house.

We talked while eating. It was a couple of years back since the last time we saw each other, although my mom and Ursula kept in touch through the phone. The three of them shared an animated conversation while my mind was drifting away; thinking what was going on Tanya's mind. I never mentioned Diana to her and maybe I should have.


	31. Diana

A/N: This chapter is dedicated to leydyan22 (you already know why :D)

**Disclaimer: **

**Characters based on Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. **

(Embry POV)

"Mom, you could have warned me," I whispered to her while I helped her with the dishes. Ursula and Dee were in the living room while my mom and I cleaned up in the kitchen.

"I would if I knew they were coming. Ursula said they're planning to visit a while back. The surprise visit was Diana's idea," she said.

"Of course," I groaned.

"Why are you acting like that? They were hospitable when we visited them," my mom said when she noticed my sudden mood change. I was cheerful earlier, but since Tanya left, I was crossing the line of being unwelcoming to our visitors.

"Sorry, mom. I was just thinking about Tanya," I said.

"Oh," was all my mom could say. She noticed how Tanya left and Tanya was not the kind to leave without a smile on her face and a promise of her next visit. This time, she was so close to just walking out the door without explanation.

--

I met Dee when my mom and I visited the Makah tribe in Neah Bay a few years ago. My mom said that we would be staying with her childhood friend, Ursula. What I didn't expect was that she had a daughter. Ursula introduced her as Diana, but when we were alone, she told me to call her Dee. "I only let people call me Dee if I like them," she said and winked at me.

Dee looked like she was a few years younger than me, maybe the same age as Seth. She had shoulder-length black hair. She had an amazing pair of black eyes and russet skin. When I first met her, I thought it wouldn't be bad to imprint on her; she was really pretty. When I didn't feel the pull between us, I knew I didn't imprint. I was disappointed in myself. It would have been great to have her as my imprint, I liked her a great deal and I didn't even have to worry about my mom liking her since Dee's mom was my mom's best friend.

I only stayed in Neah Bay for a week, but I was with Dee everyday. We talked about everything and anything about life. I told her that I never met my father; she told me that her father died while she was still young. She went to school while I never finished high school. We talked about our likes and dislikes. She told me about her friends and I told her about Jacob and Quil. I was attracted to her and I was not blind, I knew she was attracted to me, too. In a short span of a week, I felt that we had a connection. However, I knew it was going nowhere because of the fact that I didn't imprint on her.

"Do you have a girlfriend back home?" she asked while we were walking around town on our last day. Our moms dragged us to go with them, then gave us some space to 'talk.'

"No, I don't," I answered honestly.

"Really?" she said with a smile. "How come?"

"I guess I haven't met the right girl yet," I answered. I wanted to add that I wanted her to be the right girl, but I knew it was wrong since I didn't want to hurt her just in case my imprint came along.

"How about now? Do you think you found her yet?" she asked. I knew she was pertaining to herself.

"Dee, I like you, I really do, but this is going nowhere," I told her honestly.

"If you like me and I like you, how is this going nowhere? Don't you think we should at least try?" she asked. The sadness in her eyes broke my heart.

"I already know this," I said pointing between us, "has no future. Don't ask how I know, I just do," I told her.

"Fine!" she said and ran away from me. I ran after her and when I reached her, I turned her to me. My heart shattered when I saw tears from her eyes. She wiped her tears with the back of her hand. "Embry, I know that we just met less than a week ago, but I've never felt this close to any guy in my life. Ever. You…you're different. I feel the sparks fly between us, and for you to decide that we don't have a future together hurts."

I didn't know what to say to her so I just hugged her and she cried on my chest. "Dee, I like you a lot, but after I leave your town, I will go back to my old life in La Push. I don't know what's waiting for me there, so I'm saving you from heartache and tell you honestly that what we have will be just friendship. I'm really sorry."

She looked up to me, wiped the last tear from her face and smiled, "I understand. Thank you for being honest with me. I'm sorry for overreacting and being dramatic." She wrapped her arms around me again and I kissed the top of her head.

The next day, after a quick goodbye, my mom and I left. I looked back at Dee and she blew a kiss for me. I was really bummed when I didn't imprint on her. She was a great girl.

--

"Hey," Dee said as she sat beside me. I was on the porch, thinking about Tanya. She wasn't answering her phone. I knew I needed to go there and tell her about Dee, but I didn't want our visitors to think that I couldn't even spend a few hours with them.

"Hey," I said to Dee. I briefly smiled at her then looked at the sky.

"It's beautiful out here," she said.

"Yeah, it is," I said, then there was silence. From the corner of my eye, I could see Dee fidgeting and looking at my direction, but my mind was somewhere else.

"So," she said and paused. I didn't say anything; I waited for her to continue. "Sonya's pretty," she said with bitterness in her voice.

I chuckled. I didn't know if she intentionally messed up Tanya's name. "Her name's Tanya," I corrected her, "and yes, she's pretty."

"How long have you been together?" she asked.

I thought about what she said. We got together two years ago, but we did breakup for a few months. Should I count those out? Maybe not; it was not a clean break anyway. "Two years," I answered.

"Wow, that's a long time," she said. "Did you know her before we met?"

I looked at Dee and saw she was looking down at her hands on her lap. She must have thought back of what I told her before. I said I didn't have a girlfriend when I met her because I haven't met the right girl. It was the truth. "No," I answered her and fixed my eyes on the dark sky. "I met her months after I came back from Neah Bay."

"How did you meet?" she asked.

"A common friend."

"I see," she said abruptly. "So, there was really no use of going here, then."

I looked at her direction again and this time she was looking at me. Her eyes looked hurt and I felt bad. "Dee," I said but she cut me off.

"I know you said that we didn't have a future together, but a girl can dream, right?" she said and she looked like she was fighting her tears. "What do I have to compete with her anyway? She's beautiful and I'm…me."

"Dee, you are beautiful. You are one of the most beautiful women I've ever met. But beauty has nothing to do with what Tanya and I have," I tried to explain to her. I held her hand, "Do you remember when I told you that as much as I liked you, I didn't feel the pull between us?" She nodded. "I felt that for her, from the moment I first laid my eyes her."

"And there's nothing I could do to make you change your mind?" she asked.

I dropped her hand, "No, I'm sorry. I'm very much in love with Tanya."

She looked at me intently and moved her hands to hold my face. "This is going to be hard for me because even after two years of being apart, I'm still in love with you." She got up and went inside the house.

"Dee," I tried to call her but she didn't look back. I heard rustling from the trees by the house and a whoosh of wind. I recognized that sound; it was the same sound that Tanya made when she was running in the forest. By that kind of reaction, her just running away, she must only heard the part of the conversation when Dee told me that she was in love with me. Shit!

-----

(Tanya POV)

I saw the way Diana looked at Embry. It seemed natural for her to wrap her arms around him and him putting his arm over her shoulder. I could tell there was some history between them. I knew Lana's house was not the place to talk about it, especially they had visitors. And it was the visitors that I wanted to talk to Embry about. I didn't want to cause any scene or ruin their visit so I decided to leave. When I got home, I was half-hoping that Embry would follow me instead of staying with their visitors, but I knew that he wouldn't leave them. These were his mom's friends and it would not be proper to leave.

I racked my brain over and over. When I became a vampire, I lost my human memories since I really didn't have much to hold on to anyway. However, my memory of vampire life, all the decades of it, was still fresh in my mind. All experiences, people I met and conversations I had. I remembered all the details, especially the ones that I really paid attention to. So, here I was, racking my brain of every single conversation I had with Embry, and for the life of me, I could not remember him ever mentioning Diana.

I didn't know why I did it, but I went to the Cullen's library and looked for a dictionary to find the meaning of Diana. I didn't have anything else to do so I thought it wouldn't hurt to know the meaning of her name, right? WRONG! I all but drop the dictionary on the floor.

_Diana: The virgin goddess of hunting and childbirth, traditionally associated with the moon__**.**_

Ah shit! Just the meaning of her name made me uneasy. The word CHILDBIRTH was screaming at me because it was something I couldn't do that she could. TRADITIONALLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE MOON. Really? This was really a bad omen! Embry told me that the stories werewolves phasing only when the moon was full was just a myth, but they do have a pull with the moon. Something about helping them with direction, which he said helped him find me when he got to Alaska. And here I was reading that not only Diana was a name meaning goddess of childbirth, but also associated with the moon. She was the perfect match for Embry and I felt anxious.

--

I had been pacing back and forth in front of my house. I decided to stay outside since I didn't want to wear out the floor inside. I told myself that I was just over thinking the name situation and I shouldn't be jumping to conclusion that Embry was hiding something since he didn't tell me about Diana in the first place. Diana. Just thinking about her name was giving me the creeps; it felt that she was here to steal Embry away. For the first time in my life, I was truly scared.

It had been hours since I left Embry's house. He had been calling me but I kept on ignoring his calls. I started to feel bad and decided to go to his house instead and talk properly. We could talk while we walked towards the clearing. He was not patrolling tonight and we could talk for hours. It was a good plan.

I ran to his house, decided against using the car since I wanted to take time walking with him and share the beautiful night with him. I saw him sitting on the porch. When I got closer, I saw Diana sitting beside her. I focused on what she was saying and my heart broke into pieces.

"_This is going to be hard for me because even after two years of being apart, I'm still in love with you,"_ she said. Her words rang in my head like an annoying bell that wouldn't stop. I didn't know what to do, so I did what I was good at. I ran.

--

A/N: Diana was never part of the original plot but a jealous Tanya was requested. Ask and you shall receive. By the way, I did not make up the meaning of Diana; I searched it from Yahoo!


	32. Promises

A/N: Thanks to leydyan22 for the good catch…I posted the wrong chapter earlier…here you go…

**Disclaimer: **

**Characters based on Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. **

(Embry POV)

_I will not lose her again…not again…not ever_, I said to my head over and over. I ran to the forest and wrapped my pants to my ankle; I did not bother with my shirt and phased. I already lost some time when I had to hide in the woods so my mom and our visitors would not witness my phasing, then I had to make sure I had something to wear as soon as I phased back to human form.

_Please don't leave me again…please let me explain…please…please..._, I pleaded in my head over and over.

_Is everything okay?_ Jared asked. I was so focused with my own problem that I didn't notice the presence of tonight's patrol.

_Guys, please, leave my head for now_, I asked them and they whimpered in agreement. I kicked my hoofs and followed her scent. It was still strong so she was not very far. I took notice of the direction where I was heading and I hoped that she stayed put where I hope I would find her. There she was chanting something to herself and I hated myself. I promised to never hurt her and unintentionally, I did.

-----

(Tanya POV)

I promised him that I would not leave again, but I had to run away from that scene. I only heard what Diana had to say. I didn't know what Embry before and after her confession, but I couldn't just stand there. I had to go somewhere where I could think. I ran and ran until I reached the clearing. When my legs seemed to have lost the desire to run, I kneeled down and sobbed tearless cry on my hands.

_The virgin goddess of hunting and childbirth, traditionally associated with the moon… This is going to be hard for me because even after two years of being apart, I'm still in love with you… childbirth… the moon…two years apart…still in love with you… childbirth… the moon…two years apart…still in love with you_, these words kept ringing in my head and it wouldn't stop. _Her arms around his waist…his arm on her shoulder…arms on waist…arm on shoulder_, this image would not leave my thoughts.

"Stop, please stop…please stop…please…" I pleaded to my own mind. I but crashed my own head in my two hands. "Stop…just please stop…" I wanted the ringing of words to stop in my ears and the images to stop flashing back to my mind. "Stop…please…" I continued to sob.

I felt big warm arms enveloped my body in a tight embrace. I knew these arms very well. My mind was instructing me to tear myself from this embrace because I was betrayed, but my dead heart wanted to feel him close, to feel that I was still loved, that I still owned his heart.

"Tanya," he whispered, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for hurting you again. I'm such an idiot. I wish Kate's right here so she could just set me straight and castrate me or something."

I chuckled, "You know she would not think twice, right?" The tension between us lightened up a bit.

I felt one of his arms loosen and lifted my chin to face him. "I'm sorry, my darling; I should have told you about her."

"Why didn't you? We shared every detail of our lives with each other. You knew my past, I told you about Percival, you even knew about my feelings about Edward. Why?" I asked, released my chin from his hand, looked down and sobbed again.

"I just never thought she was significant. She hadn't crossed my mind since I met you," he told me. I didn't know if he was being honest, but I felt the sincerity in his voice. Though, I didn't say anything, I believed him.

We stayed like that for a moment then he broke the silence. "What were you saying earlier? You were chanting when I saw you," he asked. For a few minutes, my mind escaped the worries I had about Diana, and with just a few words, it started looming back.

_The virgin goddess of hunting and childbirth, traditionally associated with the moon… This is going to be hard for me because even after two years of being apart, I'm still in love with you_

I looked at him with sad eyes. "Do you know what the name Diana means?" I asked. He shook his head. "It means goddess of childbirth," I answered my question, "traditionally associated with the moon." He looked at me, confused. "Don't you get it, Embry? Diana's meant for you. Goddess of childbirth and associated with the moon, it fits you perfectly. I can't have any children, Embry, but she ca…"

Embry put his hand over my mouth to cut me off. "I don't care, Tanya. I don't care what her name means, if she can have seventeen kids, if she's the moon goddess or what have you. I. Don't. Care. All I care about is you," he said while he looked to my eyes. He didn't blink. He looked at me intently and there was no doubt in his eyes. I had to look away. He placed his hand on my chin and made me look at him.

In quick shift movement, I stepped away from his grasp before Embry could react, "I believe you, Embry, I do, it's just that everything is against us. We're so different. No, not just different. Our kinds are enemies. Then the woman who is madly in love you is named Diana, of all the names, it just has to be Diana."

"It's just a name, Tanya. Please," he said and walked towards me.

"Petty, isn't it?" I said sarcastically. "It's just a name and I'm so worked up. You might think I'm being silly and dramatic for over thinking, but can you blame me? If we're normal, if we're both regular humans, I wouldn't care, but I'm a vampire and you're a werewolf and everything about us is wrong and everything about the two of you is so right." I turned around to look at him, "What did you say when she said that she's still in love with you?"

"I was going to apologize to her but I heard the whoosh of the trees and I knew that sound by heart. I knew you were there and heard what she said and ran away. At that point, I didn't care if I hurt her, all I could think about was you," he said while walking towards me. He stood in front of me and reached for my hands. "I don't know if I'm doing good in our relationship, but after all these months, I think I'm doing a pretty good job and I hope not a girl from my past would ruin what we have. I had nightmares of losing you and it scared me," he said and the tears started to fall fro his eyes. "Please don't let Dee get between us. Please don't leave me again. Please don't push me away, just please let me love you."

I took my hands off from his hands and wiped the tears from eyes. He wrapped his arms around me and held me to him. "I love you," I whispered.

"I love you, too, Tanya. Just you," he said and kissed the top of my head.

"I got really pissed when I saw her," I said to his chest. I lifted my head to look at him, "And I got pissed at you, too. When she hugged you, I but yanked her head off then when you reacted with a big smile on your face, I wanted to tear her apart. You pushed the last button when you put your arm on her shoulder when she wrapped her arms around you."

"You're jealous?" he asked.

"It's been years since I last got jealous. It was Bella; I was jealous of Bella because she got Edward. Then now another human is getting the man I love, yeah I got jealous. I got so jealous that I didn't know what to do so I ended up looking for a dictionary at the Cullen's library and I almost tore that poor book apart when I saw her name. Childbirth and moon were screaming at me, taunting me that I'm going to lose you to her. It wouldn't stop ringing in my ears and the image of the two of you wrapped around each other kept flashing in my mind and I just want it to stop. That's what I was chanting earlier. For it to just stop."

He placed a chaste kiss on my lips, "You, my darling, have nothing to be jealous about."

"She's beautiful," I grumbled.

"And so are you," he countered.

"Have you seen any ugly vampires?" I asked and he shook his head. "Exactly. I guess it's like some kind of a requirement," I said and he chuckled.

"It doesn't matter what you look like, my heart belongs to you," he kissed me again and I wrapped my arms around him a bit tighter.

I kissed his chest and looked at his shirtless body, "You're sexy."

"Have you seen a werewolf who's not sexy?" he asked and I chuckled. "Exactly," he said, copying what I said earlier.

I debated with myself if I wanted to know anything about her. Did I really want to know what kind of a relationship they had? Would I be fine if I found out the details? Would it stop the ringing in my ears and the images in my mind? Would it put me at ease? Yes, the answer to every question was yes. "Tell me about her," I said without looking at him.

He unwrapped his arm from me and motioned me to sit. He moved behind me and wrapped his arms around me waist. I leaned my back to his bare chest and he placed his head beside mine. I intertwined my fingers with his hand. I braced myself for what he was about to say.

"I met Dee a few months before I met you," he started. "My mom dragged me to Neah Bay to visit her best friend, Ursula. I didn't know that she had a daughter. We only stayed there for a week, but all those days, I was with Dee. We got to know each other really well; we talked from the beginning of the day until the end of the night. It was very easy to talk to her and there was a point in time that I hated being a werewolf. I hated the whole imprinting because I wanted to be with her." My body stiffened and he felt it. "I hated the whole imprinting business until I met you," he whispered in my ear. "I think it was one of the things about being a werewolf; when I came back here and phased again, I never thought about her. Quil asked me what happened there and I told her that I met Dee; that she was pretty, but I really didn't remember much detail about her. It was as if we just met in passing. I didn't understand the feeling; it was a bit weird, to be honest. I didn't understand it until I met you, and when I imprinted on you, I was the happiest man alive."

I moved my head a bit so I could look up to him. I was in awe when I saw his eyes. He looked at me with much love and adoration and my worries about Diana went away. He loved me and just me and I decided that his past with her didn't matter. He stopped caring about my past and I would stop caring about his.

"I thought you ran away again. I can't lose you, not again." He hugged me closer to him.

"I promised that I would never run away again, didn't I?"

"And I promised that I'll never hurt you and look what I did?" he countered.

"You didn't intentionally do it, did you?" I asked him and he shook his head. "So there, it doesn't count."

"I love you, Tanya."

"I love you, too, Embry. I really, really do."


	33. Diana, again

A/N: I'm still alive, don't worry. I just had a very bad writer's block. I'm back, so here you go.

**Disclaimer: **

**Characters based on Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. **

(Embry POV)

I walked Tanya to her house and drove the car back to La Push. I asked her to be nice to Dee because she was a friend and I didn't want Tanya to have a bad impression to Dee. I still felt bad for not returning Dee's affection, but Tanya held my heart and I was willing to give up everything to be with her. I was glad when she agreed to go back to Forks so that I could go back to being an Alpha and be with my mother.

Everyone was already asleep when I got home. I saw a pillow and blanket on the sofa so I guessed my mom had our visitors sleep in my room. I hoped she cleaned it up a bit before letting them stay in there. I had to many shorts lying around.

I lied down the sofa and place the blanket over my chest. Normally, I would sleep shirtless, but since I was not in my own bedroom and we had visitors, I thought it would just be proper to cover my bare chest. I closed my eyes and thought of Tanya. I was so relieved that she had forgiven me because I wouldn't know what to do if she left. I would surely lose myself if she didn't forgive me. She was not just the half of my heart; she was my whole being.

--

I felt a hand tracing my shoulder blades. I smiled and grabbed the hand. "That's a nice way of waking me up," I said without opening my eyes. She giggled so I kissed her hand, "Good morning, Tanya."

The hand quickly slipped from my grasp. "I'm not Tanya," I heard a heard a female's voice and it was definitely not Tanya's. I quickly opened my eyes and saw Dee looking at me, more on my chest than my face.

"Sorry," I said as I got up. "I thought you're Tanya. Excuse me," I said and quickly went inside the bedroom to grab a shirt. I never minded walking around shirtless but with Dee looking at me like a piece of meat and knowing her feelings for me, I didn't want to provoke any thoughts in her mind. I walked out of the room and greeted her, "Sorry about earlier. Good morning." I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth before I joined the others in the kitchen.

"Does Tanya normally come early in the morning to wake you up?" Dee asked.

"No, she doesn't," I said in between bites.

"So, why did you think that she was the one waking you up earlier?" she asked with bitterness in her voice that I decided to ignore.

"Embry spends a lot of his time with her. Sometimes he would take a nap at her place and she would just wake him up when it's getting late," my mom answered for me. "Is she coming over today?" mom asked me.

"I'm picking her up; they're meeting at Emily's house," I answered.

"You should introduce Diana to the girls," mom suggested and I almost choked on the bacon I was chewing. Dee was a great girl, but I didn't want her to get more involved in my circle. I didn't want her to think that if she could belong with them, she could belong with me.

"Oh, Lana, that's so nice of you. I didn't want to get stuck here in the house for the whole week that we'll be here. It'll be nice to meet other people," Dee said.

I got up and put my plate on the sink, "I'm going to clean up so I could pick up Tanya. We'll drive back and pick you up, Dee." I could have just waited for Dee to get ready and we could pick up Tanya together, but I didn't want to be stuck in a car with Dee especially after the talk Tanya and I had last night.

"I'm actually ready to go so I could come with you when you pick up Tanya," she said.

"Bring Diana with you, Embry, so that she could see the house you built," mom suggested.

"It's not my house to show off, mom," I countered. I looked at my mom and I knew she wouldn't budge. I surrendered, "I'll call Tanya to let her know."

--

I was hoping for a silent drive to Tanya's house, but Dee had other plans. "So, you built a house," she stated.

"Not just me; the others helped," I said.

"Why did you build her a house?" she asked.

"She used to live in her relative's house and I wanted her to have a place of her own. The Cullens, her relatives, don't mind her living in their house since they're, uh, out of town, but I want Tanya to feel at home and not feeling that she's abusing their hospitality. I visit her everyday and I feel that it would be more comfortable for both of us if I visit her in her own house," I explained.

"She's a lucky girl for you to put that much work," Dee muttered.

"She was worth every sweat and blister," I said in return.

I remembered when I first showed Tanya the house. She was ecstatic and couldn't believe the work that I and the pack put into it. She showed much appreciation for the hard work we did. It took weeks before everything finally sunk in with her. Every time I visited her, she would marvel about how great it was to have a place of her own. I apologized time and again about the small space, but she refused to acknowledge my apologies because just having a place of her own was beyond what she was expecting from me. The return was greater when Sam and the pack expanded the house and I was eternally grateful to Sam and Quil who oversaw the project and executed it better than I originally planned.

"Is that it?" Dee asked when the house was in view.

"Yup," I said and slowly parked outside the house. I was expecting Tanya to greet us as soon as we parked since I knew she heard the car approaching. I opened my door, Dee followed suit and we walked towards the door. I knocked and opened the door. "Tanya?" I called out.

"I'll be right out," she said, her voice was coming from the bedroom. I heard the bedroom door opened after a few seconds. She was wearing a pair of jeans and purple top and although it was just simple attire, it was perfection in my eyes. I didn't say anything; I walked towards her and kissed her lips. She pulled away quickly and I was disappointed. I was about to pull her in again, but she reminded me of our company, "Good morning, Diana."

"Good morning," Dee greeted back and then turned to me, "This is a nice place, Embry. Care to show me around?" I felt Tanya's body stiffened under my arms so I rubbed circle on her back to calm her down.

"It's Tanya's house; she'll show you around," I responded and nudged Tanya to show Dee the rooms of the house.

--

"I wonder if a guy will ever build a house for me," Dee said when we loaded a car. "Do you think I'm worth it, Embry?" she asked. I was getting frustrated that she was practically ignoring Tanya's presence but I let it slide.

"You're a great person, Dee; I'm sure you'll meet someone who will go above and beyond your expectation," I answered. She said something that I didn't catch but with the looks of Tanya, I knew she heard it and it wasn't pleasant because she looked outside the window, something she did when in deep thought.

The rest of the drive to Emily's house was quiet. I couldn't think of any topic to discuss and neither of the ladies started the conversation. I grabbed Tanya's hand and squeezed it but she didn't look my way. Whatever she heard Dee said earlier must still be bugging her.

"We're here," I said and parked the car in front of Sam and Emily's place. I went to Tanya's side and wrapped my arm around her waist while my other hand guided Dee towards the house. "Hey everyone," I greeted the pack and the ladies when we entered the house. "I'd like you to meet Diana, she's a family friend." I introduced Dee to everyone and gave them a look to let them know not to talk about any tribal or werewolf stuff since she was not a part of that circle.

"Thanks for having me over," Dee said to Emily.

"You're welcome," Emily said to Dee.

Emily continued on telling Dee what happens in these little gatherings that we have so I took that opportunity to talk to Tanya. I led her to the kitchen. I stopped in front of her and held her face on my hands, "You okay?"

"I'm fine," she said.

"What is it?" I pushed. "I've known you and been around you long enough to know that there's something wrong. Tell me."

"Weirdly enough, I feel bad for her," she said and I knew she was pertaining to Dee. She continued, "When she asked you if she was worth building a house for and you said she was a great person, she said that she was not great enough for you."

"She is a great person; she may even be great enough for me, but I'm not meant to be with her. My place is with you," I said and caressed her cheeks with my thumbs.

"I know that, I just feel bad. I know what it feels not to be loved in return. It hurts like hell," Tanya said.

"But do you hate Edward for not loving you back then?" I asked. She shook her head. "Do you hate Bella because Edward loved her?" She shook her head again. "Exactly. Some things are just not meant to be. You moved on and met me. I'm sure Dee will meet someone for her, too," I said. I wrapped my arms around her and placed my forehead to hers, "You are one complicated person. Last night, you're so pissed about her being around, and now you feel bad for her," I chuckled.

"Not being able to sleep does that to you. Your head goes haywire," she said and laughed lightly. I leaned in and kissed her on the lips. She slowly wrapped her arms on my neck to pull me closer.

"Ahem," I heard a female voice. Tanya pulled away but I followed her until I was dipping her. "Embry, if you don't stop now, I'll have Paul and Quil pry of you off Tanya," Emily said while the other girls laughed, except for Dee. I pulled Tanya upright and released her from our kiss.

"You are no fun, Emily," I said.

"It's hot in here," Rachel giggled and fanned herself.

"At least someone enjoyed the show," I chuckled and kissed Tanya's forehead before heading the backdoor.

-----

(Tanya POV)

A few things I was thankful for being vampire were that I didn't need to breathe so I could Embry as long as he could hold his breath and I didn't blush because after the show that we had in front of the girls, I would have blushed in different shades of red and purple. "Sorry about that," I said to them.

"It's not your fault that your boyfriend can't get enough of you," Layle teased. I couldn't help but look at Diana's direction. She looked like she was about ready to explode in anger.

"So, what are we doing today?" I asked.

"Actually, we're cooking already since Sam wanted roast beef and it takes hours to perfection so we're going to get started now," Emily answered. She appointed each of us with some task to do and Emily was cautious around Diana. We managed to work around the other girls, but I knew that Diana would be paying close attention to my every move. "Are you going to be okay?" Emily whispered low enough for the others to miss but for me to hear. I nodded. "You might need to pretend again today." I shrugged my shoulders. From time to time, I would take a bite or two from the food we served to avoid suspicion from the imprints. After those unfortunate meals, I would head to the bathroom and threw up. Sam was nice enough to save some animal blood for me to drink to wash off the nasty dirt flavor.

--

That first day with the girls went without a hitch. It became a regular gathering for us with Diana and she grew close to the girls. She was a great person, but I still couldn't shake off the worries I had since she still looked at Embry the way a woman looked at a man that she was madly-in-love with. I was just glad that the rest of the week quickly passed and she was leaving soon.

On her last night in La Push, we had a little bonfire with the pack and the imprints. They shared some stories and it was a fun night. I noticed that the girls were chilly; the breeze must have picked up. Embry wrapped his arms around me and I saw that Diana was cold as well so I told Embry to wrap his other arm around her so she could warm up. She smiled and whispered something to Embry.

"She wants to…" Embry whispered to me but I cut him off.

"I heard. Go ahead," I said to him.

"We'll be back in a few minutes," he said and kissed me on the cheek. When he got up, he took a blanket and wrapped it around me to stay on the façade of me trying to keep warm.

The conversation around the bonfire continued for an hour or so and Embry and Diana hadn't return. I was getting worried especially when the group decided to call it a night. "Where do you think they went?" I asked Emily who was getting Salia from Collin.

"Maybe the beach," she answered and pointed me to the direction of First Beach. I nodded to the group and started walking toward the shore but I didn't quite make it there because I was stopped on my tracks when I saw an image of two people kissing. It was Embry and Diana.

I will not run away. I will not run away. I will not run away. I told that to myself that over and over as I looked down the ground. I pushed myself to walk towards them but I couldn't take another step so I let my body fall on the ground, and for the second time that week, I sobbed my tearless cry because of Diana.


	34. Girl Code

A/N: Yikes, a lot of you are mad at Diana. But that was a good thing because it raked in a lot of review, Yay!

**Disclaimer: **

**Characters based on Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. **

(Embry POV)

I walked with Dee without direction. She wanted to talk but I didn't want to leave Tanya. Tanya, however, thought that it would be good idea to talk to Dee so I decided to oblige with Tanya's suggestion, rather than Dee's request. We started walking towards First Beach, but I decided not to walk further. I had always wanted to bring Tanya there and since she hadn't been there, I didn't want Dee to see the beach before Tanya. It sounded stupid, but I wanted to share more things with Tanya than with Dee.

"What do you want to talk about?" I asked her after our silent walk. It had been at least half an hour of walking to nowhere and Dee hadn't said a thing.

"Do you think you're going to visit us in Neah Bay soon?" she asked.

"I don't know. My mom might, but I can't speak on her behalf," I answered.

"I'm not asking about your mom, Embry. I'm asking you. Are you going to visit me?" she reiterated.

"I don't know. I'll have to ask Tanya, I guess."

"Why do you need to ask her? You're a big boy," she sneered.

"Because my life is intertwined with hers now and we tell each other everything," I answered.

"Do you really love her?" Dee asked and I had to stop walking.

"Dee," I said but she cut me off.

"I know it's a stupid thing to ask but I just want to know if you really love her," she said.

"I love her with everything I am and everything I have. She's the first thing I think of in the morning and the last thought I have at night. My dreams are full of her and I daydream about her every time. I'm willing to give up everything to be with her. I love her and I can't imagine my life without her," I told Dee. I needed to get my point across to her.

"Why can't you love me the way you love her?" she cried out.

"I tried to, Dee, I told you that the first time I met you, but it's just not there. You can't force yourself to love someone because they want you to. I'm sorry," I hugged her close and felt her tears soak my shirt.

"I just…I was hoping…that the time…we spent together this week…will bring back the memories," she said while hiccupping.

I unwrapped my arms around her and put them on her shoulders, "I'm sorry for hurting you, Dee, I really am. But it'll hurt more if I tell you that I love you when I don't. It'll be unfair to you, to me and to Tanya."

"So, this is it then?" she asked with tears in her eyes.

"Yeah, it is," I said and she sobbed again. I wrapped my arms around her and held her in my arms. It took a while before she stopped crying. I placed my hands on her shoulders again and asked her, "Are you going to be okay?"

"I think so," she answered and caressed my face with her hands. "It's too bad that you couldn't love me," she said with bitterness in her voice. Without warning, she pulled my face tight and forced to kiss lips.

I gripped her hands from the side of my face, careful not to hurt her. I could easily pry her hands off but I didn't want to cause her any broken bones. "What the hell!" I shouted at her.

"I knew you wouldn't kiss me voluntarily, so I did what I had to do," Dee said. "Goodbye, Embry," she ran away.

From the corner of my eye, I saw someone standing not far from where Dee left me. I knew that figure anywhere. No!

-----

(Tanya POV)

I deeply sighed when I heard Embry shout, "What the hell!" I wouldn't know what to do if Embry willingly kissed Diana. I got up and watched Diana leave. Embry must have seen me because he started running towards my direction.

"Tanya, let me explain," he shouted as he was running towards me. I didn't move an inch and when he reached me, he held my face to his hands. "Please, please, let me explain first," he huffed.

"I'm listening," I said.

"We talked and she asked me if I really love you and I said that I do and I can't imagine living my life without you and then she cried then I hugged her to ease up the tears then she stopped crying so I asked if she's okay then she pulled me and kissed me," Embry rambled on but I stopped listening before he even got to the half of his explanation. I looked at him intently. "Tanya, darling, please say something," he begged while he caressed my face.

"You can't imagine living your life without me?" I asked.

He chuckled and pulled me close to him, "You got me worried there for a second. Of course I can't live without you. Haven't you figured that out when I went to get you in Alaska?"

"From afar, you looked like you were kissing each other," I mumbled.

"She kissed me, but I didn't kiss her back. I swear. Wait, you're not going to attack her and rip her to pieces, are you?" he asked with nervousness.

I pushed him. "I'm offended," I said. "You think I'm immature like that, picking on a fight with the girl who kissed my _unwilling_ boyfriend?" I crossed my arms on my chest to add effect.

"No, no, I don't think you're immature, it's just that she's pushing too many of your buttons and I'm worried that she's getting on your nerves already," he answered.

"Oh, she pushed enough buttons, but I'm not stepping down to her level," I said. I touched his face, "You should go home. They're leaving tomorrow and you shouldn't let her leave like that."

"What am I going to say to her? I'm not apologizing for shouting at her when she pulled that little trick on me," he said.

"I didn't say you should apologize for that. She deserved your outrage, but I think you should at least try to be her friend again. When Edward fell in love with Bella, it was hard but I remain friends with him. You should do the same," I suggested.

"But you never forced Edward to kiss you, did you?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No," I answered, but before Embry could say anything, I continued. "I never forced him to kiss me, but that doesn't mean I didn't think about it."

I thought back during the years that I was madly-in-love with Edward. I did everything I could do to get his attention and affection but all were obviously useless. The more I tried to force myself to him, the more he became aloof around me so I tried a different approach. I tried to befriend him and with that, he slowly opened up to me and I became a bigger part of his life than when I was forcing myself to him. The more I got to know him, the more I fell in love with him and it hurt more each day that he didn't return the feelings and there were so many occasions that I just wanted to trash our friendship and force myself to him physically even though he would never be emotionally attached to me. I had thought what it would feel like to have his lips pressed on mine and it kept on playing in my head thousands of time back then. It crossed my mind to take advantage of our closeness, but since he could read my mind, I was pretty sure it would be useless to plan anything like that.

"Was that before he and Bella got together, or after?" he asked. When Edward first mentioned Bella to me, I knew whatever chance I had to be with Edward was forever gone. His dead heart was captured by someone else. Before he met Bella, I already didn't stand a chance. With Bella introduced in his life, my battle was lost before the fight began.

"Before," I answered Embry.

"See, that's different. I have a girlfriend and Dee knows it and yet, she still kissed me," he said with anger in his voice.

"Is it really different? If I forced Edward to kiss me during that time before he met Bella, it was still against his will. It's not that different," I said to him.

"Why are you defending Dee?" he asked skeptically.

"Because I have been where she had been. Wanting someone you can't have. What she did is wrong, I will not justify it. It's against any girl code in the world; vampire, werewolf, human or whatever. But I won't blame her for trying, because I did try with Edward. During their separation, when the Cullens left Forks, they went to Alaska and I tried to fill Edward's emptiness. The only thing that stopped me from forcing Edward to do anything against his will was his mind-reading ability. Without that, I can't tell how far I could have gone," I explained to Embry.

"But it still comes down to the fact that I was in a relationship. Edward and Bella broke up when the Cullens left," he said.

"Love has no boundaries, Embry. Some people are just more willing to take greater risks that the others. Some are willing go beyond ethics to get what they want. Some are willing to break the 'code' if that's the only way to get the person they love. I'm just happy that I didn't need to break anything to be with you, except for the vampire/werewolf thing," I said.

He brushed the hair that fell on my face. "I love you," he said and kissed my lips lightly.

"I love you, too," I said and kissed him back. "You should go and talk to her. I know you're still upset, but control your emotions. You don't want to start phasing in front of them," I suggested.

"If I'm starting to heat up, I'll think of you. Thoughts of you calm me down," he traced his pointer finger from my forehead to my nose to my lips to my chin which he lifted and kissed me again. "Shall we?" he asked. I placed my hand in his and we walked hand in hand back to my house.

-----

(Embry POV)

I didn't want to leave Tanya. I didn't want to go back to my house and face Dee. What she did was uncalled for. She was lucky that Tanya understood where she was coming from or else she might be torn limb by limb by now. She didn't deserve Tanya's understanding, but Tanya willingly gave it to her.

"Hey," I heard Dee called me from the porch.

I could pretend that I didn't hear her but Tanya's voice rang in my ear, _"I think you should at least try to be her friend again." _"Hey," I nodded to her.

"Can we talk?" she asked. I looked at her with furrowed eyebrows because it was exactly the words she asked earlier that ended with that stupid kiss. "No funny business," she added.

"Okay," I said and sat on the seat farthest from where she was seated.

"About earlier, I'm sorry," she said. "I should have not forced myself to you like that, especially after you said that you love Tanya more than anything in the world. I acted out of impulse because I knew that there was no way that you'll change your mind. I've seen too many movies that when a girl kissed a guy that she loves, the guy kisses her back and they confess their secret love for each other, blah blah blah. I should have known it only happens in the movies." The scenario that she said was funny but I didn't say anything; I just shrugged so she continued. "I wasn't proud of what I did and I'm sorry." She looked down, "I heard you shout Tanya's name. Was she there?"

"Yes," I answered. She looked up and she looked worried. "I told her what happened. She's not mad at you. She kinda understands where you're coming from. She told me to talk to you and try to remain friends."

"That's so kind of her," Dee said and looked down. "I want us to remain friends, but obviously, I'll need some time to let go."

"I understand," I said and got up. "You should rest; you have an early day tomorrow. I'm dropping you off at the train station." She nodded and I went inside the house. I laid on the sofa; I didn't hear Dee come in because as soon as my back felt the cushion, sleep overcame my body.

--

A/N: Bye, Diana! See yah!


	35. Understanding

A/N: Okay, you can call off the search party, I have been found, lol. Sorry, it took a while before my update because I didn't want to dive in to the plot after I sorta headed a different way. So anyway, here goes the rest of the story. Thanks to the original Dee for her part of this story =D

**Disclaimer: **

**Characters based on Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. **

(Embry POV)

"What are you thinking?" Tanya asked after I sighed loudly. I was relieved when I finally dropped off Ursula and Dee at the train station. After all the drama that happened during the week, I was glad that Dee left. I did like her and we were friends and it was great that they visited, but with the chaos that she caused that hurt Tanya, to me, was a bit extreme and almost unforgivable.

"Nothing. Just thankful for the peace and quiet," I chuckled. "There was too much drama last week." I closed in the distance between us and held her hand, "You know, for a moment there, I thought I will have to run around Canada again to find you." I wrapped my arms around her.

"I almost did, but I try not to turn my back on promises I make so I stayed. You're lucky I didn't run right away when I saw you two kissing," she said.

"I didn't kiss her; she kissed me," I pouted.

"I know," she said and kissed me lightly on the lips.

"Tanya?"

"Yes?"

"Did you ever doubt me?" I asked. I couldn't help myself to ask since it had been bothering me since she told me that she almost ran away for a second time.

"I never doubted you, I trust you. I, on the other hand, don't trust her and being a vampire, I know the power of persuasion," she said and I looked straight to her eyes. She was saying everything with sincerity. "Not because I trust you don't mean I wasn't scared. She was in your life before I came to yours and I didn't know much of her. All I know is that I am your imprint and we have a bond stronger than anything in this world; stronger than your connection with your pack. That's the only thing I hold on to; that's the only thing I have against her."

I took her hands and placed one on my chest and one of the side of my head, "You have my heart, Tanya, and you are in my thoughts everyday. I will not let anything come between us. That is my promise to you."

She moved her hands and placed them on either side of my face, "I love you."

"I know, darling. I love you, too."

--

"_When are you coming for a visit?"_ Jacob asked over the phone when I called him a few weeks after the 'Diana' drama.

"I don't know," I said. "Did you ask Quil?"

"_I ask him every year like you, but he won't budge. He doesn't want to miss any of Claire's Christmases. You, on the other hand, won't have any issue flying here with your girl."_

"I can't just leave the pack."

"_Quil can take care of them while you're gone. I'm sure a couple of weeks won't hurt. C'mon, I'm begging you guys every year. Paul is coming again with Rachel."_

"I'll talk to Tanya, the pack and my mom," I said.

"_In that order?"_ Jacob chuckled.

"Yeah, in that order, like you need to ask," I laughed. I now had the tendency to run everything with Tanya first before anybody else. Half of my decision was whatever she decided on.

"_Someone's whipped."_

"How's Nessie?" I countered

"_Touché," _he chuckled.

"I'll let you know as soon as I talk to everyone."

--

"Have you told the pack yet?" Tanya asked when I told her about my conversation with Jacob.

"Not yet. I just want to make sure first that you're okay spending the holidays with the Cullens in Hanover," I answered.

"They're family; of course I'm okay with that. You should be more concerned with the pack. With you and Paul gone, isn't that going to be a problem?"

"Quil is my second-in-command; he'll be fine for a couple of weeks. Kim's family is spending the holidays in town so Jared isn't going anywhere either. I'm sure they can manage without me and Paul," I explained.

"How about Lana? I hate to think that she's going to be here by herself."

"I'll talk to her after I talked to the pack. There's no use of telling her if the pack is not okay with us leaving for two weeks. I'm patrolling tonight so I won't be staying long. I still need to talk to the pack and the Elders about our mini vacation." I kissed Tanya and went back to La Push.

--

"Mom, there's something I want to talk to you about," I said as we started eating breakfast the day after I told Tanya about our plan to go to Hanover. The pack did not have any problem about me and Paul gone for two weeks. There was never any danger and most of the members of the pack already matured so it wouldn't be much of a worry if they ever needed to defend the tribe. The last person I needed to talk to was my mom.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Jacob's been bugging me to go to Hanover for the holidays. I'm thinking of going this year with Tanya," I said.

"Is Tanya okay with it?" she asked.

I nodded, "We're just a bit concern about you being here by yourself."

"Tanya is such a sweetheart, isn't she? Well, don't worry about me. Ursula said I could go there whenever I want and I think the holidays would be a good time to do it. You will at least stay a day with me there, right? I mean not to be rude to them, just dropping a package," my mom teased.

"Stop that, mom, you're the most precious package I will ever have to drop," I said and we both laughed.

--

Tanya and I packed our luggage for our trip, while my mom packed some clothes for her stay in Neah Bay. Since we still needed to drive up my mom, Billy, Sue, Charlie, Rachel and Paul left a couple of days ahead of us.

"Are you going to be okay with us going to Neah Bay?" I asked Tanya while we loaded her bags in the trunk of the car. We would drive to Neah Bay and then leave the car in the extended stay parking lot in the airport so that we could just pick up my mom as soon as we come back to Washington.

"For the hundredth time, Embry," Tanya answered exasperated. We agreed that we would drop off my mom at night to join Ursula and Dee for dinner but stay in an inn nearby. It probably wouldn't be much of a problem to accommodate the three of us, but after their last meeting, I didn't want Tanya and Dee in the same room.

"Sorry, I just want to make sure that you're okay staying one night. I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but your wish is always my command," I said and bowed my head.

The drive was quiet. My mom was knitting at the back while Tanya read some old magazines. I concentrated on driving, although my fists were turning white because the closer we got to Neah Bay, the harder my heart was pounding. The last impression that Dee left with Tanya was not pleasant and although Dee apologized to me about her unwelcomed physical affection, she did not apologize to Tanya, to whom she owed the apology to.

"Honk the horn," mom instructed when we parked outside Dee's house. I honked the horn once and not even a couple of seconds passed, the front door swung wide open and the mother-daughter pair were jumping from the house.

"You're here!" Dee exclaimed and ran to my side. She wrapped her arms around me then back away abruptly. She was looking over my shoulder where I knew Tanya was standing by the passenger door.

"Mom, I'll take your bags inside. Go ahead," I told my mom so she proceeded to enter the house with Ursula; Dee on their tail. I turned around to look at Tanya; her face was calm. I was about to say something but she didn't let me.

"She got a bit excited," she smiled and I was relieved. I was worried that she might get furious with how Dee still acted around me, but when I saw Tanya's genuine smile, I knew there was nothing to worry about.

-----

(Tanya POV)

I tried to act normally around Ursula and Diana. I ate the food Ursula prepared even though I knew I would regret it by the end of the day. Embry sat with me the whole time. I found it sweet and irritating at the same time. I didn't need a body guard, but I knew he was also using me as his shield against any 'loving' attack that Diana might try to pull off.

"Tanya," Diana called my name, "Can I talk to you?"

"Sure," I said and got up to follow her outside. Embry stood beside me.

"Alone?" Diana asked Embry, not me. I winked at Embry and he kissed my hand before letting go. I walked silently behind Diana and waited for her to sit down before I took a seat. "I had a speech memorized but for the life of me, I couldn't remember it," she said. I didn't say anything; I just waited for her to continue. "I want to be honest with you. I really hated you the moment I knew you have captured Embry's heart." I still didn't say anything because her feelings was understandable. "I don't know how much Embry told you about me, but I was so close in having him. They left too soon and it just didn't happen. Then you came in his life; everything changed. I tried my best to stop that change. But the more I fight for it, everything just works against me." She kept shifting in her seat, "I tried to steal him from you."

"I know," I said.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "Embry is the first guy that I wanted to spend my life with and it hurts to know that he has another person in his mind and his heart." She looked at me before she continued, "Have you ever loved someone you can't have?"

"Yes, I do. That's why I didn't try to attack you when Embry told me what you did. I understand why you did what you did, but it doesn't mean that that makes it right," I replied. "I know how much it hurts to see the man you love fall for someone else. It feels like your heart was being ripped apart."

She nodded, "At first, I felt that something was stolen from me, a life that was supposed to mine. But now I see that he doesn't belong to me in the first place. It's like he has always belonged to you even before you met each other." I smiled at that. Embry said that one thing about imprinting was that it seemed like you were already paired with someone else even before you meet that person. Just like Jacob and Renesmee. "How…how did you get over him, the other guy?"

I smiled at her, "In order for me to love him the right way, I had to let him go. It hurt in the beginning but his happiness was good enough for me." I patted her hands on her lap, "I didn't look for Embry, but we found each other. Sometimes you just meet the right person without even looking."

It was her turn to smile, "Embry's lucky to have you."

"I can say the same about me having him," I smiled. When I looked up, I saw the love of my life standing at the door frame looking at me with adoration in his eyes.

He quickly snapped out of his daze and teased me and Diana, "So what, you're friends now?"

Diana and I looked at each other. We may not be friends yet, but we sure do understand each other a lot better now.

--

A/N: I know it's not much but at least it's a chapter, hahaha. Hopefully, from here, the story will flow quickly. FYI, the story is coming to an end in about five chapters or so, depending on how the ideas flow in my head. I might have a spin-off from this story, too, but I'm still debating. You'll know soon enough.


	36. Holiday Visits

A/N: Closing in to 150 reviews. Keep them coming.

**Disclaimer: **

**Characters based on Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. **

(Tanya POV)

Our trip to New Hampshire was quick and without a hitch. Jacob picked us up at the airport and I spent the ride from the airport to the Cullen's house listening to Embry and Jacob as they gave each other updates. They were like brothers and I knew it would have been better if Quil was there. Embry had told me so many stories about him, Jacob and Quil and how they used to always get in trouble together. It reminded me of Kate and Irina and I felt a bit saddened by the fact that the three of us would only have memories since Irina was gone.

"We're here," Jacob announced when he parked the car. "Everyone's inside. And remember; don't be too shocked with Nessie."

"Yeah, we remember. You've been telling me about how Nessie stretched more than half a foot since September. I didn't forget," Embry said as he took our bags from the trunk. The gesture was sweet and hilarious at the same time. Embry liked doing the heavy lifting for me, when in reality; I was at least three times stronger than him.

"Lead the way," I told Jacob and we stepped inside the house.

Jacob opened the door and I followed with Embry behind me. Everyone greeted us at the same time and we exchanged hugs. Jacob wasn't kidding when he said Nessie grew and matured. The girl had curves that put even her own godmother to shame. "Goodness, Nessie, you look hot," I exclaimed and everyone laughed, except for Edward. He groaned and we all just laughed at his uneasiness. "Get a grip, Edward. She's bound to grow up anyway," I teased.

"That's what we keep telling him," Alice giggled and Edward rolled his eyes. The women gathered together, including Leah, who I thought would not want to hang out with us since most of us were vampires. "How are things in Forks?" Alice asked when the guys started on their manly activities.

"Everything's fine," I said and Rachel chuckled. I looked at her and she mouthed 'Dee' and I couldn't help but smile.

"What?" Leah asked. I nodded towards Rachel.

"You really want me to tell them?" Rachel asked me and I shrugged. "Embry's ex, well not really ex, but kinda like that, visited La Push. The girl has guts, lemme tell you. Embry introduced Tanya as his girlfriend but I think the girl's a bit delusional." She looked at me before she continued, "I didn't know how you stayed calm all those time when Dee but clawed your man down. If she tried to pull of anything like that with Paul, I betcha those boys would be howling while watching a catfight." The rest of the girls laughed. "I mean, seriously, Tanya was too patient for our liking. Kim, Jared's girlfriend, was so ready to pounce at Dee, but Layle, Janus' girl, kept reminding her that it's Tanya's fight, not ours."

"Okay, this is too much of a whirlwind. Who exactly is this Dee?" Leah asked.

"Diana is the daughter of Lana's friend, Ursula, from Neah Bay. Some years ago, Embry and Lana visited Ursula and that's how they met, but sadly for Diana, even though Embry was attracted to her, he didn't imp," I stopped when Bella shot me a knowing look. Nessie was there and since she wasn't informed about the 'soul mate' part of the imprinting, I had to change up my story a bit. "He didn't feel any cosmic pull, or whatever, so it didn't happen for them. She was hoping that they would rekindle the attraction between them when they visited La Push, then she found out that he already has a girl. I pointed to myself then continued, "She was trying to steal my man in front of me but I didn't do anything because I know my man. We actually dropped off Lana at their place so she could spend time with them for the holidays. Diana talked to me; she apologized for trying to break me and Embry up. I told her I understood where she was coming from."

"Who the hell are you and what have you done with the real Tanya?" Rosalie exclaimed.

"Relax, Rose, I just told her that I understood where she was coming from because I had been there, in love with someone who didn't love me back," I looked sheepishly at Bella and smiled. "I told her that in time, she will find someone for her when she least expected. That's what happened to me, right? I was just going to a birthday party; when I opened the door, bam! Love at first sight," I laughed. I looked out the window and saw that guys playing basketball. At that same moment, Embry looked inside the house and we stared each other for a second or two. Cosmic pull? Whatever that was, it was definitely there.

-----

(Embry POV)

Emmett suggested we play basketball, three on three. The older men, Billy, Charlie and Carlisle opted out from playing, and the women were gossiping in the living room. "Edward's reffing," Jasper announced.

"How come none of you would let me play?" Edward complained.

"Because your wife is busy in there and she won't be able to block our minds from you so that means you're out," Emmett answered.

"How are we dividing the teams?" Paul asked.

"Let's even out," Jasper said. "Pair up. Emmett and Jacob. Me and Seth. Paul and Embry." Edward tossed a coin in the air. Depending on the call per pair, we were teamed up in no time. Emmett, Seth and Paul against me, Jasper and Jacob.

"You're going down," Emmett, Seth and Paul said in unison.

"Words," Jasper huffed and we huddled to talk about the game plan.

We played a couple of games or so and we took a bit of a break. I looked through the window and saw the Tanya was looking at me. I couldn't help but smile. I heard chuckles behind me and I looked around to see the guys shaking their heads. "You are so whipped," Seth laughed.

"Just you wait until you imprinted," I said and Paul nodded in agreement.

"You've done it yet?" Emmett asked.

I groaned. "Seriously, can't you at least for a second get your mind off the gutter?"

"It's his nature," Edward said as he pinched the bridge of his nose. Emmett must be having graphic thoughts; it was giving Edward headache.

"No, we haven't," I answered.

"You're slow," Paul snickered and Jacob scowled at him.

"Some things I don't want to know, Paul. Keep that little info to yourself," Jacob huffed and headed back inside the house.

"I'm not talking about this anymore," I said and followed Jacob.

--

The next days quickly passed. The Cullens definitely knew how to accommodate their guests. There was always a feast waiting for us after each activity of the day; whether it was just a day of chatting, exchanging gifts or Nessie's training. A part of me didn't really want to go back to La Push. It was great to be with Jacob and hang out with him. Quil and I really missed having him around and he returned the sentiment.

"I'll tell the others to come down to Forks this summer so we could have a little get together when you go home for vacation," Tanya said when we bid goodbye to the others. We rode with Jacob going back to the airport. It would our last bonding before going home. I was sure that the summer would be packed with so many activities since the Cullens and the Denalis would be both around.

--

"How was your trip?" mom asked when we picked her up from Neah Bay.

"It was good. Jacob, Seth and Leah said hi," I said.

"Are they coming home this summer?"

"That was the plan so I might be around so much during the summer," I said.

"You are never really around during summer. You boys are always at the beach and cliff diving. And I'm still not approving that cliff diving, I don't care if nobody ever get hurt," she said.

"Cliff diving?" Tanya asked.

"The boys in La Push go to a cliff and jump from the top towards the beach. It's very high and I don't know who started it, but I never agreed to it. Since Embry here thinks he's such a big boy, he doesn't listen to his mother," mom grunted.

"Mom, we've been doing it for years. We'll be fine; we're always fine," I said to her.

"I'm your mother, I'm supposed to worry," she said and fell silent the whole way.

After I dropped off my mom to our house, I drove Tanya to hers. She was the whole way and it got me worried. "You okay?" I asked and held her hand when we entered her house.

"How come you never told me about cliff diving?" she asked.

"Because we only do it during the summer and since you can't go out during summer, I didn't think there's any point telling you about it when you won't be able to see me in action anyway," I explained.

"Who goes cliff diving?"

"Just the werewolves. We don't want to risk the others. It's not true that nobody ever got hurt. I've had my share, but since we heal fast, it's as if nothing ever happened," I shrugged.

"When was the last time you got hurt?" she asked.

"Just the first time I did it. Paul forgot to warm me not to flail my arms around while I jump so I would just go straight down. When I hit the side of the rock when I landed on the water but it healed in less than a day. After that, I learned my lesson," I answered.

"If you ever get hurt, don't go here. Make sure you're all healed up before coming. Last thing I want to do is suck the life out of you," she warned me.

"First of all, I won't get hurt," I said but she cut me off.

"But you already did."

"That was the first time. After that, I never had a scratch. Second, whether I am swimming in my own blood or not, you will not suck the life out of me because you are stronger than that," I told her.

"I suggest that you don't bet your life on it."

"But I will. I will bet my life that you will never do such a thing. Not to me nor to anybody else." I saw the worried look in her eyes. I wrapped my arms around her and kissed the top of her head, "You are in much more control that you give yourself credit for. But if it'll make you feel any better, I will not let anything happen to me so that I won't be walking through your door with blood all over me." She nodded under my chin.

-----

(Tanya POV)

Not being to sleep really sucked. Embry left a few hours ago and the thought of him cliff diving and getting hurt in the process kept looming in my head and I couldn't stop myself from worrying. He told me that he healed quickly, but I was still worried about my control. I haven't been around human blood for a long time and I couldn't guarantee what my reaction would be.

I talked to Emily the next day. I didn't know who else from the girls knew about the cliff diving and I had no plans on blowing off the whistle for any of the guys. Emily, I could almost guarantee, knew all about the activities of the pack. "Do you ever worry?" I asked her.

"Every night. They were always excited going up that hill and jump down. I made Sam promise that he'll stop jumping after he stopped phasing. He's body will start aging and he won't heal as fast," she answered.

"How did you manage all those years?"

"I prayed," she chuckled. I tried to smile but it didn't reach my eyes. She noticed, "Don't worry, nothing bad ever happened to them."

"I was a bit surprised that I just found out yesterday. We've been together, what, two years?"

"It's not something that they share to their girlfriends. Only Rachel knows, Kim and Layle have no idea about it. Rachel only found out because she saw Paul soaking wet and when she asked, he slipped up and told her about it. She was fuming and told him to stop. But you know Paul; he's too hard headed for his own good."


	37. Vampires

A/N: 150+ reviews, yay! Keep them coming.

**Disclaimer: **

**Characters based on Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. **

(Tanya POV)

I put the thought of the cliff diving behind my mind. "There was no use worrying," Emily told me so I decided to follow her advice and ignored the thought in my head. I busied myself with activities with Lana and with the girls. It was great how we could quickly pick up our old routines after our little vacation.

Winter months quickly turned to spring and the sun started coming out more. I was thankful for Washington weather that I wasn't held back so much by the weather. The sun was usually hidden behind the clouds so I was able to continue my activities with the others.

Embry, as always, was usually around where I was. Although the pack already lifted their rule 'accompanied by at least two werewolves when Tanya crosses the border,' Embry almost never left my side, unless the pack wanted to do some male-bonding. I noticed it was true for all the imprints, even for Salia. Even though she was just a toddler, Collin was always around her.

While we were in Sam and Emily's house, the guys were gathered at the back for their pack meeting. Once every so often, they held meetings just for an update amongst everyone. They wanted to share any new encounter, or physical develop, or imprinting. Not much went on in these meetings; they usually just end up eating the food we prepared and rough-housing.

--

"You coming tonight?" I heard Paul asked Embry. It was mid-April and the heat was picking up. It was time for cliff diving. The older members of the pack, namely Paul, Quil, Jared, Embry and Brady, I learned from Emily, were the usual organizer of the cliff diving shindig. Collin used to also lead but since he imprinted on Salia, Sam warned him about his participation on the activity. He wanted to make sure that Salia would grow up with her imprinter still alive.

"Nope," he answered abruptly and I smiled. I wasn't part of the conversation; I was not even around them when they had the conversation. With my vampire hearing, I was able to hear what they were talking about.

"Why not? You already skipped on us last week," Quil complained. Being around them for so long, I started to differentiate their voices.

"Tanya's hanging out at the house with my mom and I want to stay in," Embry answered. Lana was planning to teach me some authentic Makah cuisine. She learned it properly during her last visit to Ursula and after she perfected it, she planned on teaching me.

"Tanya can learn without you," Jared said.

"I need to be there to taste the food," Embry said. "You guys go ahead. Maybe next time."

"That's what you said last time," Brady said.

"How about this? If they finish early, I'll see if I could meet up with you guys. Sounds fair?" Embry asked.

"Fair enough," Quil and Jared said.

"I assume you heard that," Embry said to me when he entered the house after his conversation with the other four. I simply nodded. "I'll try not to make it."

"You should have not given them false hope, then. It's not nice," I said to him.

"So you're saying that you'd rather have me jump off a cliff than spend time with you? I'm hurt," he said.

"Ha ha, very dramatic," I rolled my eyes at him.

--

Later that day, Lana had ingredients on the table. She had different kinds of seafood lain on the table and the kitchen counter and there were spices that shoot distinct scent up my nose. Having this strong sense of smell was not very pleasant at this moment. "I've set up everything so we can start seasoning then smoke them outside," Lana said as soon as she saw me enter the kitchen.

"Wow, lots of stuff," I said and crinkled my nose a bit. I saw Embry doing the same thing. Even though we were of different 'species,' we both have strong sense of smell and I could tell that this was bothering him more than it was bothering me. I could hold my breath since I didn't need to breathe in the first place; he, on the other hand, pretty much had no choice. I couldn't really tell how different the smell was but it had a lingering effect on my brain.

"Let's get started," Lana said and Embry excused himself to stay in the living room. Poor guy sneezed as soon as he exited the kitchen.

After some time, Lana and I finished preparing the food that we would set to smoke. Embry already started the fire outside and it was ready to go. Lana taught me how to properly smoke the meat and she guided me through the whole process. After we set the meat on the smoker, we sat outside and watched the night engulfed the remaining sign of the sun for the day.

"I think you can go now. Lana said it takes at least an hour to cook," I told Embry. I was pretty sure that the guys were already gathered and getting ready to jump off the cliff.

"It's okay, I'll go next time. I want to be here when that thing cooks," he nodded to the smoker. "I suffered so much with the spices and starting up the fire, I want to get the taste as soon as it's ready to eat." I laughed and Lana looked at us. Embry just shrugged and I shook my head. Lana got up and stretched her legs. Sitting at the backyard without the proper seating area hurt her back. She said she'll be back when it's time to turn the meat in the smoker.

Lana was not gone long when my body stiffened. I looked at Embry and he looked at me the same shock expression on his face. "You smell it too!" I exclaimed and we both jumped up from out seats. "Go and get them!" Embry did not even take time to change out of his clothes. He ran to the forest and I heard his clothes shred into pieces. I heard him howl, loud enough for everyone to hear all the way from the cliff. I, on the other hand, hurried towards the house and check on Lana. "Lana, are you here?" I called out but there was no answer from the kitchen so I hurried going inside the house.

She stepped out from her bedroom, "I'm here." She saw the worried look on my face, "Tanya, is everything okay? Did something happen? Where's Embry? I heard the howl, was that him?"

"There's no time to explain," I said to her and held on to her hand. "Let's just stay in here until they figure out what's going on."

"Why don't you just tell me," Lana started walking to the front door but I cut her off.

"Please, Lana, just stay put here with me. I can't, we just, okay, I don't even know what to say, but there's danger out there and I can go out there and help, but my main concern is your safety. Embry's concern right now is your safety. Right now, I'm the only one here so please just stay here with me."

"My safety? Wait, are you a werewolf as well? I never heard of a female werewolf before," she said but more to herself than to me.

"I'm not a werewolf, but I can protect you. At least I could try, so please just let me," I pleaded with her. She nodded and sat on the sofa. I went back through the kitchen door and poured water on the fire under the smoker. I didn't want to worry about the house catching on fire when there was far more danger lurking around. I ran back and lock the doors and windows except for one that I needed to look out on. I knew well that windows and doors would not hold whoever it was outside, but at least I could hear if they tried to break anything. I stood there by the window, Lana by my side and waited.

-----

(Embry POV)

I howled to the others with hopes that they were on the hill instead of the water since they would be able to phase faster if there were up there. By the beach, they would to hide by the trees before they could phase.

_Embry, what's going on? _Quil asked.

_Tanya and I picked up two scents. One was familiar but one I never smelled before_, I answered.

_How about Tanya, does she know who it was?_ Paul asked.

_I don't think so. I had to leave her with my mom so I could get you. The scent is too strong around the house but I already went around three times, the two separated and I can't leave one so I'm waiting for you guys._

_They're coming_, Jared huffed. _Brady, Janus, Raleigh and Daniel are on the beach so they had to run for cover first. The others are trying to excuse themselves._

_Sorry, I'm late_, Collin said. _Harry's not coming, he's trapped in the house to watch his brother. Ethan's running a very high fever. _

_Dammit! I think he's phasing, _I said.

_Phasing? _they all asked at the same time that made my ear ring.

_Tanya and I picked up scents of two vampires. We don't know who they are, but one is unfamiliar. We need to find them quick. I've been running around the house but I can't pinpoint any of them. They are in constant move. _In no time, most of them were gathered and running around the house with me. We separated in four teams, just like our patrol and covered all sides of the house. The scent was too strong around the house that it made me wonder why they seemed to be so interested with me.

_Maybe because you're the alpha_, Kyle said when he heard my thought.

_Could be it. Look sharp guys. Quil, Paul, Jared, I trust that you watch your team, you have hands on battle with vampires but they hadn't. Don't try and be a hero, guys, I'm serious. Dr. Cullen's not here like the last time. _ I thought about the last time that we fought against vampires. Those were newborns and possessed much greater strength than older vampires. I knew the scent of newborns and whoever was looming around La Push right now were not newborns. Leah tried to fight off one newborn and Jacob got hurt in the process when he tried to save her. I heard the inexperienced werewolves whimpered in my head. _That's how serious it could be, so don't try anything stupid. Stick together, that's the plan. _

I rounded up the back with Raleigh and Janus. Good thing Harry was on my team so we easily made up for his absence. Paul, Tom and Daniel covered the left side of the house while Jared, Bruce and Kyle were on the right. Quil, Collin and Brady were on the front. I saw Tanya the first time I rounded the front and I knew that my mom would be with her so I decided to put the Quil's team on the front since they were the most experienced team. Collin and Brady had their share of fighting, while the others haven't. I wanted the best to protect my human mother and the love of my life. We rounded the place and the scent just kept on moving. Damn vampire speed; we couldn't keep up so we decided to stay put. We did not leave our posts nor each other's team. If not for their strong stench, I would think that they already left. Up until Quil growled.


	38. Attack

A/N: Thank you all for the review. Let's try to reach 200 soon!

Special shout-out to WanderForever for posting reviews for all the chapters in just a couple of days.

**Disclaimer: **

**Characters based on Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. **

(Tanya POV)

I half-hoped that I could go out there and lend a hand to the pack. I could be of more use out there than be stuck inside the house. I looked beside me and Lana was trying to crane her neck and see what was going on. I had to block the window from her view because from time to time, some of the pack ran up and down the front. Lana knew that Embry was a werewolf, but I didn't think she knew how many werewolves in total existed in La Push, and I didn't want her to see that there were at least four other than Embry.

I tried to keep a look out. I could hear the movements through the woods but keeping an eye out and keeping an eye on Lana was not an easy task. I focused my eyes out there. I gasped and Lana held on to my hand. "What is it?" she asked. "I didn't hear anything."

"Nothing for you to be concerned about, Lana," I answered her but focused my eyes on the forest. I have never him before and I wondered who he was. He was moving so fast, almost as fast as Edward. No wonder the werewolves were having a hard time pinning him down. I blinked and lost him. I got mad at myself. I tugged Lana's hand closer to me. I only saw one and he was extremely fast. He was not the familiar scent.

Not too long after I spotted the new vampire and vanished, I saw another figure appeared. Felix. Quil stood in front of the house and growled at Felix. Felix simply chuckled and ran at Quil's direction. Collin and Brady were nearby but would not reach to help Quil in time since Felix moved in vampire speed. My instinct kicked in and opened the door and ran up to meet Felix, barely making it there before he sunk his teeth on Quil. With all my strength, I pushed him and he ended up on the forest. The others ran after him. Before anything registered, I saw a movement of someone coming inside the house.

"No!" I screamed as I ran to the house. The unknown vampire was standing over Lana. He bit her leg; she must have tried to fight him off and kicked him. I heard the back door crashed and Embry was standing there in his wolf form. His size pretty much occupied the living room and with my help, we threw the vampire out the window.

We were both about to go out there and finish him off when Lana started screaming. "It burns! Make it stop!"

-----

(Embry POV)

Everything happened so fast. I saw through Collin's eyes that they were running after the familiar vampire. It was only one; the other must still be around.

_Paul, follow Collin and Brady. Jared, check on Qu…_

Before I finished my instructions, I heard Tanya scream, "No!" I was at the back and I couldn't see what she saw. I ran through the kitchen door and Tanya tried to fight off the unknown vampire. My mom was on the floor and I didn't know what happened. My focus was zoned in to Tanya trying to fight off this other vampire. I helped her and we managed to throw him off the window.

_Jared, quick._ My team already went around the front and helped Jared and his team with Quil to finish off this vampire. I was about to join them when my mom started screaming. I looked at her and her leg had vampire bite. I whimpered.

_Phase back, Embry, we got this. Help your mom,_ Quil shouted in my mind. I knew well enough that they got everything covered. There were only two vampires and the others can handle them by themselves. I crashed my bedroom door and phased back, quickly grabbed a pair of shorts and went back to the living room.

"What happened?" I asked. My mom hadn't stopped screaming and I was feeling her pain.

"I didn't see him right away. I was so focused on Felix attacking Quil so I jumped to cut Felix off but I didn't notice the other one," she sobbed while she held my mom's leg.

"You have to help her," I panicked. I might be in love with a vampire, but I couldn't live knowing that someone would be turned into one in my watch. "You have to suck the venom out." She looked at me like a deer in front of the headlights. "Tanya, please, you're the only one who can do this," I pleaded.

"I can't; what if I can't stop myself?" she asked with worried looked on her face.

"Please, Tanya, this is my mother," I said to her and I felt tears falling from my eyes.

"Keep asking her if the burning stops. As soon as she does, make sure I stop. If I don't, call the others to pry me off," she said defeated.

"That won't happen," I told her.

"Promise me!" she shouted.

"Okay, I promise." Tanya closed her eyes and sucked at my mom's bite. Her face was scrunched up and in concentration. I looked at my mom; she hadn't stopped screaming. "Mom, is it fading? Is the burning going away?" My mom shook her head vigorously before screaming once more. I held on to my mother's face. "Shhh, mom, it's going to be fine."

"It's starting to go away," my mom started to whisper.

"Tell me when it's totally gone," I held her hand and looked at Tanya. She looked like in pain.

"It's gone," my mom said and weakly smiled. She closed her eyes and her breathing stabilized. Before I could say anything, Tanya got up and ran. I didn't know where to, but she rushed out of the house. I was about to follow her when I saw the pack outside the house. They already all phased back to human form. I lifted my mom from the floor and placed her on the sofa and headed out to talk to the pack.

"We lost him, Embry. I'm sorry," Collin said.

"You did your best. Everybody alright?" I looked around and everyone was accounted for and unscratched. "We have to burn that one," I pointed to the remains of the other vampire.

"What happened to Lana?" Kyle asked.

"That thing bit her, but Tanya sucked the venom out," I said and noticed the surprised look among the pack. "Mom's fine now. She's resting. I need to find Tanya. She ran after my mom passed out. We'll meet at Sam's house. We need to meet with the Elders," I said. "Keep a lookout for Felix. We'll double up the patrol tonight. My team will go with Jared's tonight."

The pack started the fire and I stood by the house. We would need to fix the house after this event. I looked at my mom to make sure she was okay. She was sleeping peacefully. I looked at the direction where Tanya went. "We got this covered. Go and find her," Paul said and I nodded.

"Thanks. Just howl when you need me," I told him and started walking to the forest. When I got a bit farther, I took off my shorts and phased. I followed her scent and started my search. Not long after, I knew the direction where the scent went. The clearing.

"I got scared," she said when I saw her image. She must have heard me coming. I didn't phase back; I just continued walking to her side. "How is she?" she asked and I whimpered. "I know you wouldn't be here if she's not well," she said. "Sorry for leaving abruptly like that. I haven't tasted human blood for so long and it's really appetizing and I hated myself for thinking that. I'm so ashamed of myself," she sobbed on her hands. I pushed my nose through her hands and pried it open. "I know, I'm not a monster, but I couldn't help feeling it, you know." She wrapped her arms around my neck. "But a part of me was glad that I'm a vampire or else, who knows what could have happened to Lana." I nodded; I couldn't agree more.

--

We brought my mom to Sam's house. She was still fast asleep. The bite and the blood sucked out of her must have drained her body. She was breathing steadily and she was not sweating at all so we figured that she should wake up fine.

When I said that Tanya should come to our pack meeting with the Elders, no one complained or protested. Instead, the Elders thanked her. "If you were not there to save Lana, who knew what would have happened," Sue said and patted Tanya's hand.

"It was the Volturi," I said. All heads looked at me. We recognized Felix from the last time that we met the Volturi. "Why are they here?"

"Should we tell the Cullens about this?" Quil asked.

Billy shook his head. "The vampires attacked the pack without them here. If the Volturi are all knowing about the vampires, and especially the Cullens, they knew that they wouldn't be here. I think La Push is really their target." Everyone started whispering amongst each other. Billy raised his hand.

Old Quil spoke when everyone fell silent. "We will need to keep a close lookout on everyone. Since one escaped, they might come back with more." He turned to Billy, "I'm afraid I will have to disagree with you about not telling the Cullens. We would need as much help as we could." Billy nodded and so did Sam and Sue. I knew that none of the Elders wanted to depend on the Cullens, especially because they were supposed to be our enemy. But if it came down to protecting the tribe, they would not think twice about asking for help.

"How is Ethan?" I asked. Harry arrived a few minutes before the meeting started.

"Not very good. He was still shaking when I left. I wanted to bring him here but my mom thought it was stupid for me to even think that he can go out with his fever and all. Dad convinced my mom to let me go," he answered.

"Too bad we didn't get any information from that other vampire," Jared said.

"It's not worth the risk," I said.

"Embry, what is your plan right now?" Sue asked.

"We will double up the patrol," I answered.

"I'll patrol, too," Tanya said and everyone looked at her. She continued, "I don't sleep and I don't get tired. I think I can be of better use running the borders than sitting at home." Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Lana can stay here while Embry runs the patrol," Sam said. I couldn't believe that not only would they let my mom stay in Sam's house to be with other people, but I was surprised that none of them protested when Tanya volunteered to patrol.

"I don't think it's a good idea for Tanya to come with us," I voiced out my opinion. It was my turn to be looked at. "My mom would get suspicious if we kept bringing her here every other night while I ran patrol."

"She knows," Tanya said. I didn't quite understand what she meant so I asked her through my eyes. "She knows you're a werewolf. I didn't tell her; she told me. She knows the legend and when you started acting different and your temperature seemed to be always hot, she figured it out herself."

"How about you? Does she know?" Sam asked Tanya. I was still in disbelief to say anything.

"No, she doesn't. I don't know if she still hasn't figured it out after tonight's incident," she answered. My mom was screaming for the burning feeling. It was me and Tanya beside her when the burning went away, but we couldn't tell if she knew what was going on around her.

"Embry," Emily called out. "Lana's awake. She's looking for you," she said to me and turned to Tanya, "and you." Everybody got up and went to the gate to leave. The Elders stayed behind and watched me and Tanya as we went inside the house.

--

A/N: Question? Do you want Lana to know that Tanya's a vampire, or just leave that info within the Elders and the pack? I'm not very keen on letting more people know about the vampires; the imprints don't know about the vampires, so should Lana be an exception? Let me know!


	39. What Lana Knows

A/N: Back in Chapter 35, I said that there are probably just 5 chapters left. Well, obviously it's going to be more than just 5 chapters since this is already Chapter 39 and I'm not that close to the finish yet. I will try to give you about 50 chapters in total, but no promises.

Last chapter, I asked if Lana should find out that Tanya's a vampire or not. Thanks to all who voiced out their opinion.

**Disclaimer: **

**Characters based on Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. **

(Tanya POV)

I didn't know what to expect when I entered the house. Lana was finally awake and sitting up. That was a relief. I was so worried that I either didn't suck all the venom out or sucked too much and left her for dead. Seeing her awake and her color coming back to her face felt like a boulder was lifted from my shoulder. If there was any trace of venom in her system, she would still be screaming in burning pain.

"What happened?" I heard Lana asked when she saw Embry. I was standing behind him.

"Mom, are you alright?" Embry kneeled in front of his mother.

"Why are you asking me? You and your friends had to deal with those, those creatures. What are those? They looked vicious and…" she rambled on and saw me, "Tanya, dear, are you okay? I was so worried when you tried to go out there. Everything happened so fast. You were not hurt, were you?"

"I'm fine, Lana. I just wanted to distract them," I answered and she looked bewildered. "Lana?"

"You made the burning stop. How, how did you do that?" she asked.

"I think you should rest, mom. Your body needs it," Embry forced his mother to lie down on the sofa before she could ask any other question and before I could think of any response to her inquiry. She must have been tired from what had happened and fell asleep quickly. We were glad that we wouldn't need to explain ourselves any time soon. "We need to call the Cullens," Embry said. "The sooner, the better."

"You go out there and join the others in patrol. I'll call them and join you right after," I said to Embry. I knew he was not happy when I volunteered to run patrol nor with the fact that none of the Elder disagreed with my decision. We hugged each other before he went to the forest to phase. I ran back to my house to make a very late phone call to my extended family.

--

"_We have been waiting for your call," _Carlisle said from the other line.

"What do you mean?"

"_Alice had a vision of you making a phone call. She tried to back track but everything was blurry with all the werewolves around. What happened?"_

"Felix and another vampire were here. Not all over La Push; it specifically targeted Embry's house. Lana, Embry's mom, was bitten by the other vampire, but I suck the venom out in time. Felix, however, got away."

"_Alice's last vision was this phone call, nothing after that. I'm sorry that we can't tell you why they were there in the first place. How are the others?"_

"Nobody got hurt, but Harry's brother, Ethan, will start phasing soon. Collin said he was running a very high fever. We didn't get a chance to talk to the other vampire; we didn't want to risk anyone getting hurt after Lana's incident."

"_If the Volturi sent Felix, it's very unlikely for them to attack like that. Until we can be sure of what's going on, I suggest that we all stay put. Call Eleazar and have them stay in our house there. It's better that you have more help. We will discuss the matter here and let you know as soon as possible."_

"Thank you, Carlisle."

"_You're always welcome. Be safe."_

The uneasiness in the pit of my stomach would not settle and I was getting worried on what was going on. Carlisle was right; it was very unlikely for any Volturi to attack unless provoked or they wanted to capture something. They were greatly outnumbered; there were only two of them and at least twelve werewolves, and yet the other vampire attacked.

"Eleazar, it's Tanya," I said when he answered the phone.

"_How are you?" _

"I'm fine but I need you all to come down here."

"_What's going on?" _

"I'll explain when you get here. Just leave as soon as you can."

"_Are you sure everything okay? You sounded upset and scared."_

"I promise to tell you everything later. What's important is that you get here as soon as possible. I need to go; I'm running patrol with Embry."

"_Patrol? Since when did you start patrolling?"_

"The sooner you get here, the sooner you'll find out." I did not give Eleazar another chance to say anything; I hung up the phone.

Even though I was running the patrol with Embry and Jared, I couldn't shake off the thought of the Volturi. I couldn't wait for my family to arrive. The werewolves could protect their tribe but they couldn't do it by just themselves. They would need as much help as they could get. When my family arrives, there would be additional four vampires could help a great deal.

-----

(Embry POV)

I was grateful that Tanya was there to save my mom. I wouldn't know what to do if my mom turned into a vampire. It was unexpected when I imprinted on a vampire, but I wouldn't want to deal with a newborn. Based on the stories that Jacob told us that was passed on to him by the Cullens, newborns were dangerous on their first year because of their strength and thirst. Bella was an exception to this. We fought against newborns and they were vicious and had no other sense but to feed and fight anything that would get on their way. I didn't want to see my mom become like that.

_We're all glad that Tanya's on our side, Embry. Quil might have gotten hurt if Tanya didn't interfere,_ Jared thought.

We rounded the borders twice before I saw Tanya. I thought about phasing back but I figured that she would understand if I decided to stay in wolf form just in case another attack came. "I talked to Carlisle and Eleazar. My family's coming as soon as they can. The Cullens will discuss how to handle this. They will let Jacob's pack know, too. Alice saw my phone call in her vision and she'll try to find Felix' future moves. Until then, all we could do is wait," she said when she reached my side.

_Do you think Jacob's coming home?_ Jared asked.

_Depends on what they discuss. I'm sure they'll tell Tanya what they decide on as soon as they discuss the matter over_, I answered.

_Are you going to teach us how to fight them?_ Bruce asked. I had always thought that whatever happened in the last few years were events that were unlikely to happen again. I didn't think that we would ever need to train the others to fight, but after the attack a few hours ago, it would be best to teach them and any other boys who would phase how to fight and counter attack.

_Do you think Jasper's coming with the Cullens if ever? He was the best teacher_, Jared said and I agreed. Jasper had a first-hand experience in training and fighting and it would be great to have him as a teacher.

_We'll see. I'll tell Tanya to ask if he could come with them if ever._

--

Since our house was in ruins and my mom was in Sam's house, I slept in Tanya's house. She laid beside me until I fell asleep but she wasn't there when I woke up. I got worried right away; what if Felix came back for her? I jumped off the bed and hurried to the living room. Tanya must have sensed my panic because she hurried to my side. "Embry, everything's okay."

"When you weren't there, I thought Felix came back," I said as I hugged.

"I didn't want to wake you up with my constant stirring so I got up and sat on the sofa."

"You okay?" I asked. I looked at her and I knew something was bothering her and I knew what she was thinking. "You're worried about my mom." It wasn't a question.

She nodded. "I told Carlisle that Lana got bitten and I sucked the venom out, but I didn't tell her that she already woke up and had questions. What are we going to tell her? What if she asked what I am? What if she hates me when she finds out I'm one of them?"

"We'll figure it out when she asks. Until she does, we won't say anything," I told her and rubbed her shoulder. We stood by the window for some time and only moved when my stomach turned. "Let's go to Emily's. I'm sure there's breakfast there," I said and pulled her hand.

--

My mom was still asleep when Tanya and I arrived. Like expected, Emily already had breakfast cooked and ready. Sam, Emily and I ate while Tanya sat across the sofa, watching my mom sleep.

"How is she holding up?" Emily whispered. I almost chuckled because I knew Emily was whispering so that Tanya wouldn't hear that we were talking about her, but since she has vampire hearing, she would hear everything.

"She's fine, a little shook up, but she's okay," I replied in a low voice, but not necessarily a whisper. "She's more worried about what mom will say when she wakes up."

"I wonder if she'll remember the exact events," Sam pondered.

"We're hoping that she won't. I was still surprised when Tanya said that mom knew all along that I'm a werewolf. That was a shocker," I said.

"I wonder if she knows who else in La Push are werewolves," Emily wondered.

"Let's just hope that she'll just keep the things she knows to herself from now on. I'm still worried for what she'll say," Tanya came in the kitchen. "Salia's steering on the bed; she'll wake up soon."

"Thanks," Emily said and got up to check on their daughter.

"Are you going to tell her?" Sam asked both Tanya and I. We both knew what Sam was referring to.

"Only if she asks," I answered. Just then, my mother stirred on the sofa. Tanya walked to her side and helped her get up.

"Good morning, Lana. How are you feeling?" Tanya asked.

"Like I've been bitten," my mom joked but for us, it wasn't funny. "I smell bacon," she tried to get up but her body was still tired.

"I'll get your breakfast for you. Stay put," Tanya said and went to the kitchen.

"You shouldn't try to force yourself too much, mom," I said as I helped her stretch her legs.

My mom looked up and saw Sam. "Good morning, Sam. I hope you didn't mind me sleeping here. Last time I remember, my house is torn apart at the moment," she smiled weakly then she looked at me, "Young man, we need to talk later." Tanya came back with a food tray for my mom. I stood up so that Tanya could place the tray on the coffee table. Mom moved closer to the coffee table and picked up the cup of coffee. "Thank you, dear. Go ahead and help yourself." My body stiffened when Tanya picked up a piece of bacon. She was about to put it in her mouth, then my mom suddenly said, "You don't have to eat that, my dear. I was just testing you." Testing what, I didn't know and I wondered if I wanted to find out.


	40. What Alice Saw

A/N: 200+ reviews? You're too kind!!!

**Disclaimer: **

**Characters based on Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. **

(Tanya POV)

I gasped, "Testing me?"

"Teasing, Tanya. I'm only teasing you. I know that you get allergic to certain food. I wanted to lighten up the mood. You all looked serious," Lana chuckled.

I exhaled. I didn't realize I was holding my breath until unnecessary exhale escaped my lungs. "Oh, yeah. I already ate before I went here," I said. It wasn't a lie. I hunted after the patrol. I wanted to wash out the taste of human blood in my mouth. I didn't want to start longing for it and seeing Lana was not really helping but I fought the urge that lingered in my mind.

"What exactly happened last night? What are those things? Why are they here? Did anybody get hurt?" Lana asked a series of questions.

"Mom, just finish your food and we'll tell you what you want to know," Embry answered. "Quil and Paul are going to help me fix the doors in the house and Tanya will clean up the rest of the place. Are you going to be fine here with Emily and Salia?" I knew what Embry was doing; he was putting both of us far from Lana so that she wouldn't have the chance to interrogate us so much. I was sure that she wouldn't put so many questions on Emily. She was never a fan of gossiping.

"If that means that I could sleep in my own bed tonight, that's fine. No offense, Sam, you're couch is very comfortable. I just wanted to lie on my own bed. I hope you understand," Lana explained to the owner of the house.

"No need to apologize, Lana. I understand the comfort of one's own home," Sam told her. He then turned to Emily who just entered the living room with Salia in her arms. "We're going to get started fixing their place," he nodded his head towards Lana and Embry. He kissed Emily's and Salia's cheek before leaving. Embry and I followed.

"Thanks for doing this, Emily," Embry said. "Mom, just rest. You'll be home by dinner."

--

I still couldn't shake off what Lana said. I knew well that she said 'testing' and yet she changed it to 'teasing' when I asked her.

"You're thinking too much out of it," Embry called on me while we were cleaning up the remnants of the house.

"I'm a vampire, Embry, I have perfectly good hearing," I snapped at him.

"Tanya has a point, Embry. Lana did say testing," Sam said.

"Do you think she knows?" Quil asked. When we arrived, Quil and Paul were already waiting at Embry's house and started to clean up the ashes from the fire where they burned the unknown vampire. We told them what Lana said before we left Sam's house.

"I don't know; it's hard to tell," I answered. Lana chuckled when I repeated what she said. Was she hiding something? How much did she already figure out? How would she react if I tell her that I am a vampire?

"Think of it this way, Tanya," Paul said. If Lana knows and she still didn't freak out when she saw you this morning, it simply means that she's okay with you being a leech." Although I hated it when he called me a leech, he did have a point.

--

I was glad when my family arrived that late afternoon. They must have rushed going to Forks since it took them less than twenty four hours to get here. Embry told me to go home and update my family. He would follow as soon as his mom was settled in their house. I told him not to worry about me and just be with his mother, but he would not hear any of it.

"You're mom just got better; don't leave her side unless you're patrolling," I said.

"We're both needed to be there when you talk to your family," he protested.

"Fine. Just make sure that Lana's asleep before you come over. I don't want her thinking that you're leaving her all alone the night after she had an incident," I gave up.

"You will tell me everything you talk about, okay?" he asked and I nodded.

When I arrived to my house, Kate and Carmen ran out to greet me. "Tanya, how are you?" "What's going one?" "Is everything all right?" They spoke at the same time.

"Slow down, ladies. Let's go inside and talk," I said and we all went back inside. When we were settled, I spoke, "I was in Embry's house. Lana was teaching me to cook and we were at the backyard when Embry and I smelled the two vampires. The one was familiar and the other was new. Embry ran out and phased to warn the others while I went inside to watch Lana. We waited for the others and since the smell never left the surrounding of the house, the pack surrounded it. Before I knew it, Felix was about to attack Quil and I ran over to block him off. The others ran after Felix, but I missed the other one and he managed to enter the house and bit Lana." Everyone gasped. "Embry helped me to throw the vampire out of the window then he phased back so he could stay with me as I suck out the venom from Lana's leg." Kate held my hands on her lap and squeezed it. "I told Embry to keep asking Lana if the burning was gone and as soon as it was, I ran out to the forest. I felt like a monster," I couldn't help it; I took my hands of Kate's lap and sobbed tearless cry on my hand.

"You are not a monster," I heard a familiar voice by the door and felt Kate shifted from the sofa. I felt Embry's big warm arms wrapped around my body. "You saved my mother. You are no monster," he said with soothing voice.

"What happened to Felix?" Eleazar asked.

"He got away," Embry answered and I could hear the anger in his voice. "We lost his scent; he must have crossed the water."

"What do you think he's going to do?" Carmen asked her husband.

"He's going back to Volterra and report to whoever sent him here. I wonder what he was doing here in the first place," Eleazar answered.

"Alice didn't see it coming. She only saw the phone call I made," I answered. Embry's arm tightened around my body and I looked up to him, "How's Lana?"

"Rachel volunteered to stay with her tonight since Paul's running patrol," Embry answered.

"Has she mentioned anything about me?"

"She said that she'll need to buy more ingredients so you could continue you're cooking session," Embry chuckled and I was relieved. Whatever Lana knew would remain a mystery to all of us until one of us had the courage to ask her, but now was not the time.

--

After a few hours of talking things over with my family, my phone rang. The call was from the Cullen's house. "Hello?"

"_Tanya, it's Rosalie. We just got here. Are you in your house?"_

"Hi, Rose. I'm at home. Kate and the others are here. Do you want us to come over?"

"_No, we'll go there. We just changed our clothes. We'll be there in a few." _ Rosalie quickly hung up.

"Who's with her?" Embry asked.

"She didn't say. I would think Emmett for sure," I answered. The pack wanted Jasper to teach them how to fight, but I haven't gotten a chance to talk to the Cullens. "I guess we'll find out when they get here."

Not a whole minute passed and the front door opened to reveal Rosalie and Emmett. It was just the two of them, no Jasper. I told the same story I told my family to the couple that just arrived. Both of them were equally shocked and bewildered about the sudden visit and attack by the members of the Volturi.

"When we left, Alice still hasn't seen Felix' next move. They will let us know as soon as they find out anything," Rosalie said.

"What did Jacob say?" Embry asked.

"We all decided that we shouldn't decide in haste, that's why it's only me and Emmett. As soon as something develops here or Alice has another vision, they will stay put there."

"Do you think Jasper's coming, too?" I asked.

"I don't think so. Why?" Emmett answered.

"I was hoping that he could train the pack to fight, like what he did the last time," Embry answered.

"That shouldn't be any problem," Emmett said and dialed his cell to call Jasper.

Two days passed with no incident. Jasper arrived in the middle of the night with Esme and the training started to commence right away. Jasper trained the pack with Emmett, Garrett and Eleazar. They trained the younger members of the pack. Embry and Jared rotated with Paul and Quil in supervising the training. Kate, Rosalie, Carmen, Esme and I assisted the pack in patrolling if they were not in the training.

--

Lana got better. Her lively spirit never changed. If not for the mark on her leg, no one would believe that that dreaded event happened. Lana never brought up that night to me or to Embry and I was glad, although deep down, I was still worried. She never changed the way she treated me though. I paid extra attention to the way she talk and tried to see if she would slip up what she knew or what she thought she knew, but she never gave any clue.

The other imprints, other than Emily, never knew what really happened. Although Rachel stayed with Lana that one night, she was only told that there was an emergency meeting. The Elder, the pack and us vampires all agreed that it would be better not to involve anyone else.

--

We waited for any update from Alice, but there was none until Friday afternoon.

"Alice saw something," Rosalie announced and put the phone in speaker. We had been meeting in the Cullen's house since it had more space than my house.

"_The Volturi never gave up on us,"_ Edward said. _"They are still hoping to get me, Alice, Bella and Renesmee to join their little army. We knew they are keeping tabs on us; they have been doing that ever since our last visit to Italy. But when Heidi told them about the last visit and how Embry and Tanya arrived together, Cauis got suspicious." _Embry held my hand tight in his. "_Aro and Marcus said not to waste any time with the shape-shifters but Cauis has something else in mind and when he couldn't control it any longer, he ordered Felix to go and confirm Embry's relationship with Tanya."_

"It was our fault,"I sobbed.

"We didn't know," Embry said and held my body in his. Kate patted my shoulder.

"No one knew this would happen," Rosalie said in a soothing voice.

"_Cauis was furious with Felix' report,"_ Alice spoke on the phone. "_Furious that the other vampire, Zachariah, made their presence known, but much more because of what Felix' told him. He's considering a visit to La Push. He hasn't decided what action to take to separate Embry and Tanya, but he will try everything," _her voice faltered_, "even if it meant killing both of them." _

All of us froze with what Alice said. _Even if it meant killing both of them._ "This was not supposed to happen. We were supposed to live our lives in peace," Embry said with an angry voice. "When will everyone leave us alone?" I could feel his anger building up and I had to run my hand on his back to calm him down.

"Embry, darling, take it easy," I whispered and he relaxed a bit. "I don't understand why it was such a big deal that Embry and I are together."

"_It has been Cauis' obsession to hunt werewolves,"_ Carlisle said.

"_But we already told them that they are not werewolves. They're shape-shifters,"_ Edward said.

"It doesn't matter to Cauis. For him, they're all the same," Eleazar said.


	41. Cauis' Past

A/N: I have a lot of things in my mind lately and it's taking a bit of my time from thinking about my 2 stories, this and Life Goes On. Thanks to leydyan22, her artwork inspired me to write more. She created a banner for this story, isn't that great? Now I need your help. I am taking a poll on a part of the banner to use for the final product. Go to my profile to participate on the poll. When the next chapter is done, I will close the voting for the poster and I will add the winning link in my profile. Vote vote vote!!!

**Disclaimer: **

**Characters based on Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. **

(Tanya POV)

My heart sank after the phone call from Alice. Embry and I had been through obstacles and it seemed like they would never end. The first was the fact that I was a vampire and he imprinted on me. It did not settle well with the Elders, especially with the pack. After we resolved that, Diana came and tested our bond to each other. It wasn't much of an obstacle for Embry, but it was a big deal for me that I had a breakdown. Now, after what we thought would be peace at last, the worst obstacle known to both our kinds loomed around us.

"What does Caius have against werewolves?" Garrett asked. It was a question intended for himself only, so we were all surprised when Eleazar told us Caius' story.

"Aro can read minds far more powerful than what Edward can do. Marcus can detect relationship. Caius had no talent. Before meeting Aro and Marcus, Caius had been living on his own for a while. Without any special ability, he lived on pure vampiric instinct, just enhanced sense, strength and speed.

"He had been hunting on his own when he spotted a young woman walking by herself and it looked like a perfect meal. He could easily outran her and take control. He grabbed the young woman and was about to bite her when the clouds revealed the full moon and in front of him. The young woman transformed into a werewolf and probably remembered Caius' initial intention. He was caught off guard when the werewolf attacked. He struggled fighting off the transformed young woman; he could not shake her off and he was bashed on the ground and was bitten all over. When the clouds shifted and covered the moon, the werewolf phased back to the young woman and Caius did not think twice; he bit her neck and drained her blood.

"When he met Aro and Marcus and shared leadership in Volterra, he used this power to hunt all werewolves in the attempt to destroy the memory of that night. He had no enhanced ability that could be of use to him, so he used his authority as a leader. It was not an easy task, but being indestructible himself and surrounded by the Volturi guards at his command, he wiped out all the werewolves that existed in the land. They hunted during the full moon and anyone who transformed was killed. Some were easier to find since they have distinct smell, but those who just newly transformed took a little more work.

"It brought peace of mind to Caius after hunting werewolves all over the world. Aro and Marcus did not care about this expedition that Caius took as long as he took only a handful of the guards from Volterra. I am assuming that upon coming to La Push a couple of years ago brought those memories back to him and since he couldn't find an excuse to exterminate you all then, he's using your relationship as one now."

"How did you know about all this?" I asked Eleazar. "You never told us this."

"I left my memories of being a Volturi guard when I set my foot out of Volterra. When I left, I never looked back and had no reason to think back. Now that you asked, I supplied the answer," Eleazar answered. "Aro was the most adamant in making sure that the Volturi guard be composed of many talented vampires. With my ability, Aro brought me along with him in every venture and search. I guess in time Aro became comfortable with me and shared me random stories, which included Caius'."

"Do you think Aro or Marcus will intervene with what Caius is about to do?" Esme asked.

"When Caius' set out to find and kill all the werewolves out there, none of the two cared so much. The Cullens are the biggest coven outside Volterra, and us Denalis are the second. Combining both of us and the pack greatly threatens their power and control. Now that there could be a chance to weakening the alliance that our kinds have," he pointed to us, to the Cullens who were present and to Embry, which represented the pack, "I'm sure they will turn a blind eye. "

"In that case, we better continue with the training," Jasper said and Embry quickly got up.

"I will have Quil and Paul's teams meet you in the clearing by sunset," Embry said. He then grabbed my hand and we walked silently to the porch. He closed the door behind us. He touched my face just like he did the night he imprinted on me. I closed my eyes and let my body feel the warmth of his touch. "I will do everything to be with you," he said in a low voice. I slowly opened my eyes and saw tears falling from his eyes, "You have been the reason my life is worth living and I will not grow tired of fighting if it means that I could be with you forever."

I lifted my hands and placed them on his face, "I am not the only one you should be fighting for, Embry. The pack needs a leader and you have been a very good one to them. If separating is the only way to keep the peace, we should think about this." It took a lot for me to say the things I said; the thought of being away from Embry was almost unbearable. I wanted to be selfish and just run away from this place and live our lives together. We would be forever on the run, but as long as we would be together, it would be worth it. But I knew I couldn't be selfish; I wouldn't let any of my family down, both my vampire and werewolf families.

Embry held my hands, "How do you know that I am not going to seek the Volturi myself and try to destroy them for being the reason of you staying away? Without you, I am as good as dead. You've seen what happened when you left me once; it'll be just like being condemned in hell if I lose you. You are the point of my existence and the only way I could live my life is if you are in it." There was no doubt in his eyes; they were full of conviction and love.

"You are one stubborn werewolf," I said.

"Shape-shifter, not werewolf," he said and I chuckled. "Nothing you say will ever convince me to stay away from you." He held my face and touched our foreheads, "I love you too much to let anything in this world break us apart."

"I love you, too, Embry. You are worth the fight ahead of us," I said and closed in the gap between our lips.

--

The training continued and the pack became better with their fighting skills. I was grateful for Jasper's skills; it was a great help to all of us. We still didn't know what to expect since Alice hadn't had any visions. Not until very early Thursday morning.

It was not even two in the morning when the phone in the Cullen's house rang. Embry was there since he hadn't been sleeping properly at night. He became a bit nocturnal. Rosalie, Esme, Kate, Carmen, Emmett and Garrett were patrolling with the pack while Eleazar, Jasper and I stayed in the house.

"_Caius is making a move. He's bringing Felix, Heidi, Chelsea and Alec,"_ Alice said. Eleazar shook his head but did not say anything. "_I don't know the others, but there are about a dozen of them in total. He had an argument with Aro and Marcus since both thinks that this trip is a waste of resources."_ I almost exhaled in relief because Aro and Marcus didn't approve but Alice continued, _"The only thing that convinced Aro was that since Chelsea is coming with Caius, she might be able to break any bonds amongst us."_ All hopes were gone.

"Caius doesn't care about any of us. He's only bringing Chelsea in hope to break the bond between Tanya and Embry," Eleazar said.

"_That's the same thought I had,"_ Carlisle said.

"When should we expect them?" Jasper asked.

"_Next week, for sure,"_ Alice answered. It was too soon, much too soon.

"I'll tell the pack," Embry said and left. I heard howls after a minute or so and I knew that all who were patrolling just heard the dreaded news.

-----

(Embry POV)

_It's sooner that we thought_, I said to them in my mind.

_It'll all be the same regardless. At least we know when to expect them_, Quil said.

_I think we should have Ethan sit this one out. It's too soon for him_, Paul suggested and I couldn't agree more. The rest of the pack have trained before when the Volturi first came in La Push, but Ethan just started training when he fully phased days ago. He hasn't even mastered phasing back to human form, much more fight against old vampires.

_He's not going to like it, but it's for the best,_ Collin said and everyone agreed on this decision.

_What are we going to do now?_ Brady asked.

_First thing in the morning, we'll have a meeting with everyone else and the Elders. What I take from the phone call is that the rest of the Cullens are flying back as soon as possible,_ I answered.

_How about Jacob's pack?_ Quil asked and I whimpered. _Why are they not coming? We need them here!_

_The Cullens cannot risk having both Jacob and Nessie seen by the Volturi together. Once they find out about Jacob imprinted on her, it'll be much worse that what we are already facing,_ I explained.

_Then why not leave Ness instead?_ Paul asked.

Before I could answer, Quil did, _For the same reason we had to face them last time. The Volturi needs to see Nessie all grown up, especially Caius. Wasn't he the one who wanted to kill Nessie?_ I nodded to confirm.

_I know that none of us likes the situation that we are in. I know that some of you may still be thinking that it was a mistake that I imprinted on Tanya, but I don't regret that I did. _None of them said anything; they all showed understanding. _Thank you,_ I simply said and ran the patrol with them.

--

As expected, Ethan did not like to be left out, but the Elders agreed on our decision. We would be fewer in number compared to the last time we had to face them, although there would only be about a dozen of the Volturi coming. I doubted that they would come less prepared than they did and we didn't want to take a chance by bringing Ethan with us.

Most of the pack demanded that Leah and Seth should at least come to their rescue but Old Quil spoke on their behalf. "Leah and Seth's place is with their Alpha. If Jacob stays in Hanover, so should they. Some of you may not understand this, but the tie of the pack is stronger with their Alpha than their tribe."

"Maybe Sue can persuade them," Raleigh suggested.

"I may be their mother, but I am not their Alpha. Once they phased, their priorities change," Sue explained and no more argument was expressed regarding that matter.

"As soon as the Cullens arrive, we will have a meeting here in La Push. It's better to have them here than all of us going to their house and leave the tribe defenseless," I said and seeing that everyone agreed, the meeting was adjourned.

--

A/N: Now is the time to click on that green button below for REVIEW then go to my profile to vote for your favorite partial poster.


	42. Heidi, Chelsea and Alec

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**Disclaimer: **

**Characters based on Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. **

(Embry POV)

Carlisle and the others were scheduled to arrive early this morning. Most of the pack were restless and decided to gather in La Push as early as possible. Some took a quick power nap after the training session with Jasper, but most were just ready to meet with the Cullens so that we would know the impending danger we were to face.

The training we had with Jasper helped a great deal, but I felt that it was not enough to keep our nerves calm. I wanted to give them reassurance, but I couldn't bring myself to lie to my pack. I didn't know what to expect when Caius arrived and Alice could only see so much in the future. I hoped that she would see more as the time of their arrival comes.

"Hey," I heard Tanya call for my attention. I was sitting by the edge of the clearing, trying to gather my thoughts before the meeting. I patted the space beside me. Tanya sat down and wrapped her arms around me. I put my arm over her shoulder. She felt tense.

"Everything okay?" I asked and she shook her head.

"Edward called. Alice said that Caius has a mind-shield with him. Edward won't be able to read his mind and we won't know so much of his plans when they get here," Tanya answered.

"What's the plan?" I asked.

"Nothing yet. We'll wait until everyone's present," she said and placed her head on my shoulder. "I'm scared," she said.

"Everyone is, but that doesn't mean that we will not fight back." I turned to her and held her face on my hands, "This is the biggest fight we will ever have and once we get through this, nothing else will break us apart." She smiled weakly on what I said and we sat there until it was time for the Cullens to arrive.

--

An hour before the arrival of the rest of the Cullens, the Elders gathered in La Push with the rest of the pack. My mom had been staying with Emily. We reasoned that it was better for her to have company since I would be busy in taking care with some business; she never questioned me and simply complied. It was easier to distract her since the girls still had their little meeting almost everyday. None of them knew the danger that was coming except for Tanya and Emily.

"Caius chose his guards well," Eleazar said when the meeting started. Being a Volturi guard for centuries gave him an expanded insight on the powers of the other Volturi guards that Caius brought with him. "Felix has no special power aside from brut strength. Nothing that Emmett couldn't handle, I'm sure," he chuckled and it helped a little bit to lighten up the somber environment. "Heidi can create illusions in one's mind, illusion of desire. It won't matter so much with us, unless we have great desires in life that she could use to alter our thinking.

"Chelsea is a bit different. Her power lies on emotions. She can strengthen or weaken bond of one person to another. She can break off friendship and acquaintances, but nothing beyond that. A love for another is something she cannot break and that is to our advantage, especially with Tanya and Embry. There is no way that Chelsea can break off your bond; Caius and Aro didn't realize that at the time.

"All of you have seen Alec's power and he will use it again. He can easily decapitate your senses without any of us noticing it. Thank goodness we have Bella on our side and she could shield us off from his and Heidi's powers. Our bond to each other as family, lovers and brotherhood is something that Chelsea would have a hard time breaking, if she could even weaken any."

"How about the others?" Paul asked.

"If you don't remember them from their last visit here, Aro might have just acquired them a couple of years back," Eleazar answered.

"That's probably it. Aro was so interested in Bella when she transformed. Now, they have a shield, although not at powerful as Bella," Alice said. "From what it looked like, this new vampire needs to be physically holding the other person he's blocking. I can't tell the extent of his powers from my vision."

"If that's the case, we will need to prepare more," I said. "If Edward can't read Caius' mind, we need to be ready at all times." This was going to be a fight that we may or may not win. Edward's ability was a plus when the Volturi was here last time; he read the minds of the leaders. Now that they have a shield against his mind-reading ability, we would need another plan.

"You have to make sure that you're ready for any attack. As you all know, vampires are very fast and it will take at least two werewolves to physically take down one vampire. We will need to discuss tactics," Jasper said and I nodded. We have been training against speed, but we haven't trained with Edward lately. He was the fastest of them all. The pack trained well with Jasper and Garrett, who were faster than Eleazar and Emmett, but none of them were equally fast as Edward.

"Until they decide on how to attack us, I can't see anything and now that the next moves involve werewolves, I can't see anymore. It's all blurred and I'm afraid I can't be much help," Alice said with a sad voice.

"What you have seen is already a big help to us, Alice," Billy assured her and I made a note to myself to personally thank her for the warning she had given us all. Without her visions, we wouldn't even have a fighting chance.

"Based on the original timeline that you told us before, we have about five more days," Jared said. "I think it is best that we talk about the teams that we will form."

I stood up and looked at the pack, "Those who are not in patrol and can spare some more time, meet us at the Cullens. Those who are running the patrol, I will be in wolf form so that you'll be included in the discussion as well."

--

Most of the pack loaded the cars with the Cullens. Tanya rode with me in our car; none of her family or the pack rode with us. We were both tense and none of us spoke. We held each other's hands. When I parked outside the Cullen's house, I turned to Tanya and held her hand to my heart. "You okay?" she asked. I shook my head. "We're going to be okay, Embry, as long as I have you and you have me, we're going to be okay," she said with reassuring voice. I kissed her hand and opened my door. I went around and opened her door for her. When she got out, I hugged her and kissed her on the lips.

"I want to take advantage of every moment I have with you," I said and led her inside the house. We waited for everyone to be gathered around. I got up and went outside to phase. I entered the house but stayed at the foyer. Being in wolf form took up a lot of space.

Jasper started, "This is going to be harder since Edward won't be able to read Caius' mind. This will now be pure defense if it ever comes to fighting."

Emmett continued, "We should have six groups just in case it comes down to a fight; each group can take two vampires at a time." He then turned to me.

_Do you think Collin and Brady will be ready to lead a team?_ Quil asked.

_I'm not sure that now's the time to try,_ Paul said and I agreed with him.

_How about Leah and Seth?_ Jared asked.

_They're not even in this pack_, Daniel protested.

Quil growled at him. _This is a pack, not a tribe issue. They are still family._

_Guys, take it easy. We're just going to divide the rest under us, Leah and Seth_, I informed Quil, Jared and Paul. After I told Edward the teams that we would form, they started thinking about the vampires that would go with each team.

"I'm going with Embry; there's no question in that," Tanya said. I whimpered. I wanted her to stay away from the fight. I wanted her away from harm, not beside me and fight. "I'll watch your back and you watch mine. I will be out there with you."

_She has a point, Embry_, Janus said. _You're in this together; we're all in this together. Whether she's in your team or not, she'll be out there. Don't you think it's better that she's with you instead?_

_When did you get so smart?_ Paul teased.

The Cullens continued to assign everyone to each group. Bella, Edward, Nessie and Carlisle would stand in the front line, hoping that Carlisle could talk some sense out of Caius, but I doubted that he would budge. Based on Eleazar's stories about Caius, he was never the type who gives up. Bella's power would be a great help for everyone. Just thinking of Heidi and Alec's power worried me. If they could affect any of us, we would be easily defeated.

After the meeting, I went back to the woods to phase back to human form. I put on my clothes and walked back to the Cullens house. I saw Tanya waiting for me by the porch. She smiled a little before she got up and met me halfway. "I'm sorry about earlier," I said to her referring to my protest of her fighting beside me.

"I understand what your point was, but I just want you to know that I will not leave you alone. We're in this together," she said.

"I should get going and catch a little sleep," I said and kissed her lips before I rode the car and drove back home.

--

"Embry," I heard my mom knock on my door. What was she doing home? She was supposed to stay with Emily until we sorted everything out.

I opened the door. "Mom, what are you doing home?" I asked.

"You've been avoiding me since the incident," she said as she referred to the time that Felix and the other vampire attacked us. "I want to know what's going on. I can't stay in my own home and you looked like you haven't slept in days."

I walked to the living room and sat down. It was inevitable at this point. There was no one around that could save me from this conversation. How did she get pass Emily anyway? "Before anything else, mom, I want you to know that I am not in liberty to answer your questions, but I'll try to give you as much details as I can," I started and she nodded. "How much do you know?" I asked and it was obvious that she was caught off guard.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Tanya told me that you know what I am, what I can turn into," I answered.

She looked down on her hands before she spoke, "I noticed the sudden change about you; how you grew so tall and built muscles and how you were always warm. I'm your mother, I notice everything," she said. "I was in denial for a while. I've heard of the tribal legends of Quileute and I didn't believe any of it. At first I thought of leaving you because I couldn't deal with it, but I can't. Who does that, leaving your own child?"

"He did," I answered. My mom knew right away who I was referring to. I had ill-feelings towards the father I never met.

"Let's not bring him up," mom said. We never talked much about him since he left before I was even born. "It's not a maternal thing to do; leaving your own child, that is. I tried to stop you from going out at night, do you remember?" she asked and I nodded. "When you didn't, I just gave up. I thought that since you're a big boy, you can take care of yourself."

"How much of the legend do you know?" I asked.

"Just that the werewolves exist to protect the tribe," she answered.

"That's it?" I asked. Did she ever wonder what the tribe needed protecting from?

"That's it," she answered with a straight face and I was relieved that she didn't know anything vampires and Tanya. "Are you going to tell me what happened then?" she asked.

I crossed my fingers behind me. I hated lying to my mother but it was the only way to protect her, "That's what we were trying to figure out, and until we do, I would sleep better if you stay in Emily's house."


	43. Peril

A/N: Phew, this took a long time before it got finished. It's becoming a challenge to write this story, but I hope that you'll continue liking it.

The poll for the poster is now closed. Thanks to those who voted. Special thanks to leydyan22 for the wonderful poster for this story. Big reveal on the next chapter.

Review is at 220+. How soon before 250?

**Disclaimer: **

**Characters based on Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. **

(Tanya POV)

Even when my family arrived from Alaska and the Cullens from Hanover, I tried to keep my appearances in our little gathering at Emily's place. None of the other girls knew about the impending danger that was looming in La Push in the next few days and both Embry and I wanted to keep it that way. Emily knew about this because everything was open to her, especially now that Sam was a part of the Elders. My biggest concern was Lana. After the attack, I felt that she had been closely watching over me. Maybe I was being paranoid because I was worried of what she knew. She never treated me differently at any circumstance and my suspicion was getting the worst out of me. It did not settle well in my mind to think ill of my future mother-in-law. Yeah, future mother-in-law, if Caius wouldn't kill us all then maybe it would happen in the future.

"Mom was in the house this morning," Embry said when he came to the Cullen's house. "She admitted to me that she knew all those times that I was a werewolf, but it seemed like that's all she knew."

I felt relieved. "That's good," I sighed. Embry rubbed my back; he always did it to calm me down, but lately, it hadn't been working. Even Jasper's gift was not useful to any of us right now since Jasper himself felt tense. "Alice hadn't seen anything, so if her visions are right, they're coming in what, four days. I don't know if we're ready."

"We have both our families together with us; none of them will let us down," Embry said and wrapped his arms around my waist and held me close to him. I wished that things would just stay like this; us together and had no worries in the world.

--

When I arrived at Emily's house, Lana was in the kitchen; she was cooking with Emily and Layle while Rachel and Kim watched over Salia. None of the boys were around; they were in the Cullen's house, discussing tactics and probably training.

"Tanya, can I talk to you for a second?" Lana called out and we went to the backyard. "I finally got a chance to talk to Embry," she started. "I told him that I knew what he can turn into. He didn't look surprised."

"When we were attacked, they were worried of what you have witnessed and how it will affect you," I told her. "I didn't want to betray your trust, but I felt that I had to tell them not to worry about what you have seen because you knew that Embry was a werewolf. They were worried how you will react after the incident and telling them what you knew put everyone at ease."

"How many are they?" she asked and I shook my head.

"I'm afraid I am in no liberty to say. When everything gets back to normal, talk to Embry," I answered.

"The monster that bit me," she continued. I cringed at the term she used. She didn't notice my reaction, "It's not from here, is it?"

"No, he's not. That's what they're trying to figure out," I lied. We knew where he was from, what he was doing here. We already figured that out and much more.

"You helped save me. I never had the chance to thank you," she said and patted my hands.

"I did what I can do, Lana. No need to thank me," I smiled.

"How did you know what to do?" her question caught me off guard. I was thankful that Emily called out for me and saved me from answering the question that Embry and I had been avoiding.

"Tanya, phone," Emily said. I excused myself from Lana and we walked inside the house. The Cullens needed all of us gathered to train with them and I had to go.

"Girls, I'll go ahead. I need to do some stuff at home," I told them and left.

-----

(Embry POV)

Everyone was gathered in the clearing and we resumed our training. Edward's speed was a bit of a challenge to the pack because he was extremely fast that even Jasper couldn't take him down easily. It took three werewolves to take Edward down. Nessie managed to expand her telepathy even more, although everyone was worried because she passed out earlier. Her ability continued to amaze everyone.

The rest of the pack took off after the training. We had been at it for hours. It was harder now that they needed not only to practice with speed, but they need to pay closer attention to my every thought and to their surrounding. Since I was the only one in the pack that Nessie projected thoughts to, I paid more attention to her than to the thoughts of my pack.

Tanya and I stayed with the Cullens. We were in the middle of discussion when my phone rang. I looked at the caller ID and excused myself. I ran to the forest before I picked up the phone. "Hey," I answered.

"_How are you guys doing?"_

"Could be better." There was a hidden meaning with what I said and I knew well that it would be picked up on.

"_I wish I can go there, but I don't want to risk anything more than what is already in danger. How is she?" _The voice behind the question was strained. I knew exactly who he was talking about.

"She's fine, Jake," I told my best friend. "I know this is very hard for you, to be away from her, but the decision you made with the Cullens is the right one. I couldn't bear to imagine what the future will bring me and Tanya, but it's something that we need to face. At least you know that we will protect her from everything."

"_But I won't be there to protect her," _Jacob sighed in defeat. _"How's the training going?"_

"It was chaotic and tiring, but everyone's stepping to the plate. Jasper and Edward trained Nessie, too. Her power's great."

"_Yeah, I know. She just tends to pass out when she's forcing too much." _ I was silent. Edward told me not to let Jacob know that Nessie passed out again because Jacob worried too much about her. Jacob, on the other hand, seemed to read my mind over the phone. _"You don't have to lie to me, Embry. I know she passed out. How long was she out?"_

"About an hour or so," I answered truthfully.

"_I'm sorry for not being there. I still don't know if I made the right decision staying here. I should be helping you guys."_

"I talked to Billy and Carlisle. Both of them knew what you felt when you had to stay behind. They both agreed that it was for the best. Carlisle said that Aro was very interested in Edward, Alice and Bella. When he first met Nessie when she was little, Aro became interested with her, too. Imagine now if he found out that she's imprinted upon by a werewolf. He'll jump on the Caius' bandwagon in no time."

"_I guess, but I just hate being here while she's out there risking her life. I'm supposed to protect her, Embry. I'm supposed to be there for her, not here. I'm supposed to be…I'm just…"_

"Don't beat yourself up, Jacob. We will watch over her as we watch over ourselves. I know this is hard for you. Heck, I'm here with Tanya and it's still hard for me just thinking about it. Just remember that this is for the protection of the both of you. If I could do the same with Tanya, I would."

"_Do you ever regret on imprinting on her?"_

I chuckled. It was the questions that the pack continually asked me. At first, it pissed me right off because I hate anyone doubting my feelings for Tanya. "No, I don't. I would imprint on her if I'm given a second chance. The time I spent with her was something I would never ever give up."

"_Fight for her, Embry. You both deserve happiness forever,"_ Jacob said and I felt the sincerity in his voice. He didn't need to tell me twice; I would fight for Tanya a million times over so I could spend my lifetime with her.

--

Two training days passed when Alice suddenly called Tanya's house. She had another vision. Tanya rushed to the Cullens while I phased and howled for the pack.

_What's going on?_ Paul asked.

_I'm not sure yet. Alice saw something. I don't even know if it's good news or not._ I answered

_You go ahead. I'll call the others. _Jared said and I went to the Cullens house. I was in human form but Paul stayed in wolf form.

"We're here," I announced when we arrived. Tanya quickly ran to my side and I held her close to me while we listened to the news.

"Alice saw Aro instructing Jane to round up some guards, but there's no decision made yet, so that's all she saw. We're worried that Aro might send Jane and the others here. Whether to fight or to intervene, we don't know," Carlisle explained.

"This is going to be difficult," Alice said. "I can't watch both of them at the same time."

"We understand, Alice. I think that it would benefit us better for Alice to watch Caius since he is the one who already made up his mind in annihilating our friends," Carlisle said. I was very thankful for the Cullens and the Denalis because none of them treated us differently even though our history made us enemies in the past.

"But won't it benefit us if we at least know what Aro's planning?" I asked. We already knew Caius was coming with his leeches, what we needed to know was what else should we expect.

"Embry has a point," Edward agreed. "We already know that there's no way to stop Caius' attack, but knowing what Aro was planning could come to our benefit."

"But won't it be better that we know what Caius' move will be?" Garrett asked.

"Guys, I can only tell you what's going to happen with Caius before they get here. As soon as we are gathered together, I won't be able to see anything because of the wolves," Alice said and turned to me, "No offense." I nodded and so did the rest of the pack.

"I guess that settles that then," Carlisle said. "Alice, based on the last vision you had about Caius, he's set to arrive in two days. Just make sure that that hadn't changed yet. Other than that, watch Aro."

--

The pack was gathered in Tanya's house. We opted out from meeting at Sam's house because the rest of the girls were starting to get suspicious that we had meetings too often.

"The Cullens and Denalis are doing all they can to help us out and we will do what we can to help them. With Aro playing in, this is going to be a new challenge. Having Nessie project thoughts to us is going to be a great help, but we shouldn't reply on that. Nessie can only do so much," I told the pack. I inhaled before I continued, "Jacob called earlier. He's apologizing, again, for not being here."

"He just won't let it go, will he?" Jared asked.

"He wants to be here, but we are already in much danger as it is. He will be adding fuel to the fire," I said.

"More than adding explosives to the fire," Paul said. "Those leeches will not let any of these go if they find out that the biggest coven outside their walls is fully intertwined with our kind."

"He's worried about her, isn't he?" Quil asked and I nodded in response. "Like we're going to let anything happen to Nessie. She's one of us."

"You can't blame him from worrying," Janus said. "It's one thing that you're away from your imprint; it's another that there's peril waiting just around the corner." I knew exactly what Janus meant. All of us who imprinted could not imagine living a life without them.


	44. Proposal

A/N: 230+ reviews, yay!

So after the poll, leydyan22 finished up the poster. Check my profile to see the poster solely dedicated to this story. She posted the poster in Kiowa's (Embry) myspace account and this is what he said:

"thats pretty awesome, Thanks. Danielle Panabaker was a good choice. haha"

I picked Danielle Panabaker, and Dee made this poster look really good. Much kudos to Dee for the wonderful poster. (Please note that neither Dee nor I know Kiowa - we're both just fans).

**Disclaimer: **

**Characters based on Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. **

(Tanya POV)

"Earth to Tanya," Kate said to me. We went hunting together, just the two of us. Something we haven't done since they got here. All we had being doing was training for the inevitable fight that was coming soon.

"Sorry," I said to my sister. She had been trying to hold a long conversation with me but I would slowly put the conversation to an end unintentionally.

"Share," she said. I looked at her puzzled. "Whatever is going in that head of your, share."

I sighed. My mind was always full of thoughts. This was the first time I was actually going to voice it out loud. "There were so many things going through my head from the very first day that I met Embry. He captured me with just one look," I couldn't help but smile when I remembered our first meeting and how both of us were speechless. "I battled with myself every time I was with him then because I knew we were so different, that we didn't belong to each other, that we shouldn't be together. He proved his affection to me when he followed me to Alaska, no thanks to your husband," I teased Kate. She raised her eyebrow to me and I lightly laugh before I continued. "When he did that, it was the first time I realized that it was true that love conquers all. Despite our differences and everyone against us, we prevailed. Then there was Diana."

"The bitch?" Kate said. I just shook my head at her choice of adjective. She was not a fan of Diana when I told her about what had happened.

"Yeah, her. After that, I thought we'll be smooth sailing."

"There's no such thing as smooth sailing. Garrett and I still fight," she said. "It's a normal thing in a relationship."

"I know, but this is something else. This is like a threat of extinction."

"Sis, we're here for you. We won't let anything happen to you nor the pack just like how they will not let anything happen to our family."

-----

(Embry POV)

I barely slept last night. Caius' face lingered in my mind and I couldn't fight off the worries that clouded my mind. I wanted to protect everyone I love, not only Tanya and my friends, but especially my mother who only knew part of what was going one. I had lied to her over and over and I couldn't be on her side when things started to progress when the Volturi set foot here tomorrow.

It always calmed me down when I talked to Jacob before when it came to my alpha responsibilities. How I wished I could talk to him right now and hear what he had to say, but now was not the time to do that. Jacob had his own worries and I didn't want to push him any further and make him change his decision.

I slowly got up from my bed and sat on the porch. It was five in the morning and I was already wide awake even though I didn't sleep until it was around midnight last night. Not long after I sat down, I saw a shadow walking towards my house. "You're up early," I greeted the shadow.

"So are you," the shadow replied back. I knew that shape from anywhere, like I knew Jacob's. "Do you have any food in there?" Quil asked.

"Not really. I'm just drinking coffee, if you'll call that food," I answered. He shrugged and went to the kitchen as soon as he reached the house. "What brought you here this early?" I asked when he appeared at the door.

"Can't sleep," he answered abruptly. "You?"

"Nightmares," I replied.

"Figures," he muttered. "Even Old Quil's having nightmares and he hadn't seen Caius in person."

"How's Claire?" I tried to change the subject.

"She's okay right now. I'm glad she's not here for this," Quil said. Claire was out of town with her family. Their timing was perfect, one family less to worry about. "Where's Tanya?"

"With Kate," I answered.

"What's your plan?" he asked. I looked at him and I saw that he was looking at me intently.

"Are you asking me as your friend or as your alpha?" I asked.

"As my friend. As my alpha, I know that you will not let us down," he answered.

"If things get out of hand and if I was to choose who to save, one of us or her, I will not think twice, I will save her," I answered.

Quil nodded in understanding, "I will do the same thing if it was Claire."

--

Before I went to the Cullens, I dropped by Sam's house to talk to my mom. Tomorrow our future could change and I wanted to talk to my mother just in case this would be the last time. She greeted me with the biggest smile on her face.

"Embry!" she hugged me tightly.

"Hi, mom," I said and hugged her back. "Why don't we go outside for air?" I invited her and we walked to the backyard.

"What's going on, Embry?" she asked. My mom knew me so well that I couldn't lie to her, especially after finding out that she knew about my shape-shifting after all these years.

Before I answered her, I led her to a make-shift bench. We sat down and I held both her hands, "Mom, I want to thank you for understanding everything that I'm doing even if you don't understand why and what exactly I am getting myself into. Thank you for accepting Tanya as part of my life and for your adoration to her. She adores you just as much and I couldn't be any happier to have the two of you in my life." She lifted her hand and patted my hands. I smiled before I continued, "There's danger out there, mom, and because of what I am, I can turn into, I need to be out there and fight for our survival."

She gasped at my words and I saw the tears that were forming in her eyes. "Why you? Can't you talk to your leader? You have so many things ahead of you," she said frantically.

"Mom, I can't turn my back on this because I am the leader. And there's as much things ahead of the others as there are a lot of things ahead for me. Me and my team are all in this together." I held her hands tighter, "I know this is difficult for you to understand right now, but please know that I love you and you are the best mother, no, the best parent someone could ever have." She was sobbing and hugged me to her. There were no words to describe the emotions we were both feeling, a mother/son bond.

--

After spending a few more hours with my mom, I went to the Cullens where I would be spending the night with Leah and Seth. The others opted out and stayed with their families. Kate, Garrett, Rosalie, Emmett, Carmen and Eleazar volunteered to run the patrol for the pack so that all of us could rest for the upcoming fight. The Elders were thankful for the generous help that the Cullens and Denalis had shown to the tribe.

"Tanya, walk with me?" I invited her. She took my hand. I opened the passenger door of our car. I saw the questioning look in her eyes, but she didn't say a word. She got in and I drove us to a location that I wanted to share with Tanya. She looked puzzled but held her tongue. I opened her door and took her hand in mine while we walked silently.

The sand of first beach felt good under our feet. We were walking in the dry sand so there were no footprints to look back to; everything was just ahead of us. We walked in silence; none of us said anything until we stopped to look at the setting sun. "It's beautiful," Tanya whispered and she turned to me, "Thanks for taking me here."

"I have shared everything with you and this beach was the last part of me that I wanted to share with you. I wanted to have our time here together be with so much joy and for us to have fun but I don't know what will happen tomorrow so I'm taking this opportunity to take you here." We walked hand in hand in silence again while the sun completely set.

"Embry," she said as we stopped walking. "Would it still be the same if you didn't imprint on me? Would you still love me just as much if you were not drawn to be by this cosmic pull?" Tanya asked me with hesitation in her eyes.

I held her face on my hands. "I used to think that it was the imprinting that brought me closer to you. I thought that since I imprinted on you, I was supposed to love you involuntarily, but here," I took her hand and placed it over my heart, "it's different. Dee asked me when we first met if the two of us had any chance. Although I was attracted to her and I knew it wouldn't be hard to love her, I knew someone would come along to whom my pull would be stronger." She was going to interrupt, but I didn't let her. "At first I thought I was instantly attracted to you because I imprinted on you, but attraction can only hold a fraction of one's attention, much more emotion. It's not because I imprinted on you that's why I fell in love with you. It's the little things that you do." I took my hand and caressed the side of her face, "It's the way you smile through your eyes, the way you look so concentrated when you read or watch a movie, they way you ate the food my mom served you even though your guts was telling you to throw up." We laughed at that memory. "I won't lie and tell you that if I never met you that I will not fall in love with anyone else. Sam was in love with Leah with all his heart until he imprinted on Emily. He didn't lie to Leah when he said he loved her; there was a point in time that although he was with Emily, he still loved Leah dearly. The only difference with the love he had for the two of them was that if both of them are in danger, as much as he loved Leah dearly, Sam would save Emily before her. As his imprint, Sam would be drawn to protect Emily and her safety would be in his best interest." I moved my hands from her face to her shoulders, down her arm and held her hand. "Please don't think that I love you because I was forced to. I love you because I learned to do so and it was the greatest lesson I've ever learned in this lifetime."

"I love you," she whispered.

"Everything you are completed everything that I am now. If my life ends tomorrow, I will die happy because I know that I have lived a blissfullife filled with love and happiness. You made that possible for me. You fulfilled my life and much more_._" I let go of her left hand, "I wanted to do this in a better circumstance, at a better time, but," I said and slowly got on one knee. With my right hand, I took the small ring from my pocket before I continued, "I don't know what tomorrow will bring,nor what type of things shall behold_, _but to have a promise of your love, devotion and a life with you forever is something I will hold onto and fight for until my last breath and may it be life or death or existence. My love for you is longer than eternity. Tanya, will you marry me?"

--

A/N: Have you seen the cool poster yet? Check it out and let me know what you think!


	45. Words of Love

A/N: Hi, everyone! I know it's been a week since my last post. Sorry it's taking a bit longer for a new chapter. I have too many things going on and it's getting a bit harder to put something out and since I want the quality to stay true to the flow, I want to make sure that every chapter is up to par. That being said, reviews are slowly creeping to 250+, so keep them coming and hope that it'll surpass that point soon.

**Disclaimer: **

**Characters based on Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. **

(Tanya POV)

Kate and I walked back to the Cullen's house after hunting. We talked about everything and anything that came to mind. We even talked about how come Embry and I hadn't slept together. I told Kate it was a choice and she asked me to explain. I didn't know where to start my explanation since it was a conversation Embry and I had a long time ago, after so many failed attempts of pushing our relationship forward. I remembered how Embry told me that he had so much respect for me. Lana had him out of wedlock and he grew up without a father. Although he knew that I would never bear a child, he wanted to give me something that his father never gave to his mom; marriage before sex. I laughed when he first said it, I never took him as an old-fashioned guy, but I guessed since neither Jacob nor Quil could give him advice on this issue, he opted out on seeking advice from other people.

"And you were okay with that?" Kate asked.

"Why wouldn't I be?" I asked back.

"Because you're used to men throwing themselves at you with just one look, now you're abstaining from it."

"I've done it for decades already, Kate, what are another few years or so? Besides, Embry's worth waiting for," I shrugged.

"You really have changed, Tanya. I don't know if it's for the better or the worse, but the smile on your face shows that it is for the better."

--

We tried to continue with a normal day at the Cullen's but the tension was intense. I excused myself and went to my house alone. Kate wanted to come, so did Carmen, Rosalie and Alice, but I told them that I just wanted to see the place and I would be back in no time. They understood what I wanted to say, I wanted to see the place just in case this would be the last time.

I walked towards the house slower than a normal human pace. I memorized and savored every step I took, every tree I passed, and every twig I stepped on. When I got to the house, I walked around it while I dragged my hands on the siding and felt every detail of my small home. I pushed the door open and stepped inside. I ran my fingers on every surface and edge. This home was a gift from Embry; a gift that I wanted to keep for as long as I can; a gift that I wanted to last longer than another day. Tomorrow. Tomorrow could be our last day and this was the last time I could memorize the details of this house. This was my home and I would do anything to keep it, like the way I would defend my family, my friends and especially Embry.

Later that day, Embry arrived at the Cullen's where I stayed for the rest of the afternoon after the little time I spent in my home. I couldn't tell what was going on in his mind when usually I could easily tell. "Tanya, walk with me?" he said. I took his hand; I thought we were just walking, but I was surprised when he led me to the car. I looked outside during the drive and knew right away that we were headed to the beach. What in the world we were going to do in the beach at night was beyond me but I decided not to ask. He would tell me everything, I figured so I just waited for the next thing.

Embry and I had never gone to First Beach together. He had gone there with the pack and the others every summer under the shining sun. I envied all of them because they experienced the childish moments that Embry hid within him. He was free and without worry when he played in the water. I usually watched them from afar, while I hid in the protection on the big trees in the forest.

The drive didn't take long. When we got there, he opened my door without a word. He held my hand and we walked together. He stopped after walking for a few minutes. I looked towards the sky and saw the sun setting. I was caught with the beauty of the sunset, "It's beautiful." Embry finally broke his silence and told me that he wanted to share everything with me. I could feel the love in his voice, but I couldn't help but wonder what if he didn't imprint on me, would I still be spending this wonderful moment with him. Ever since I met Embry, my life changed and it was something that even though I told Kate and my family about it, it just seemed like a wonderful dream that would end abruptly. Despite everything that we went through, I would not trade what I shared with Embry with anything or anyone in the world. He completed me, something that no man had ever done in the centuries that I had been alive.

Embry held my face in his hands. He told me the words I needed to hear. I looked through his eyes and the words that came from his mouth were not just words, they were promises for a great future together, proof of the love that was beyond the words that we could express to each other. "Please don't think that I love you because I was forced to. I love you because I learned to do so and it was the greatest lesson I've ever learned in this lifetime."

"I love you," I said to him. It was low, but I knew he heard it.

I was overwhelmed with his words as he continued his declaration of true love. I was lost in my own thoughts of him, until he let go of my hand and got on one knee. "I don't know what tomorrow will bring,nor what type of things shall behold_, _but to have a promise of your love, devotion and a life with you forever is something I will hold onto and fight for until my last breath and may it be life or death or existence. My love for you is longer than eternity. Tanya, will you marry me?"

I gasped. I looked at him, puzzled. I had an extraordinary hearing, but I wanted to make sure I heard his words correctly. I focused my attention to him until I saw his hand holding a small ring. It was a simple ring, but the details were intricate, it was not a common ring that you could easily buy from any store. I looked at him again and it finally hit me, he really was proposing. I heard him right. Embry asked me to marry him. I took my hand off his other hand, knelt in front of him and wrapped my arms around his neck. I kissed him tenderly on the lips. I felt him smile under my lips. "Is that a yes?" he asked.

"Oh my, I forgot to answer. Yes, of course, yes," I giggled and kissed him again. He ended the kissed and grabbed my left hand from the back of this neck. He inserted the ring on my ring finger and kissed it.

-----

(Embry POV)

I never doubted my feelings for Tanya nor her feelings for me. I was sure that she would say yes to me when I proposed, but it worried me a bit when she didn't answer right away. "I thought you doubt there for a second," I joked.

"I was just so taken by your speech that I couldn't think straight," she said as we got up. "It's beautiful," she said as she held it up.

"It was my mom's," I said. Earlier, when I was with Mom, she had a somber look on her face. I thought it was all because I told her that there was danger lurking and I needed to be there to defend the tribe, but I was wrong.

"Embry, there is something I've been meaning to give to you. I have been waiting and waiting for the right time when to give it to you. I've had it in my pocket everyday since that day that you brought Tanya to our house." She reached in her pocket and held a tiny cloth. She took my hand and placed it in the middle. I held out my palm and she opened it. I was surprised to see a ring. "This was my mother's passed to her by my grandmother. She gave it to me with hope that I'll pass it down to my daughter, but obviously I only had a son," she said and patted my arm. "When you started growing up, I thought the ring will be stuck with me forever, with no one to pass down to, but from the very first time I met Tanya, I could tell that she would bring you the happiness that you deserve and I am a living witness that what you two share was pure and divine love. I want her to have the ring; for her to be an official part of our family. When you ask her to marry you, and I know you will, I can see it in your eyes; when you ask her to marry you, give this to her."

"Mom, I can't take this from you," I protested.

She closed my palm with the ring in it, "Tanya is a daughter that any mother would be proud to have."

I smiled and kissed her on the cheek, "Thanks, mom."

"And if she says no to you, tell her the ring is from me, maybe she'll change her mind," she joked and I laughed. "Please be careful out there. I want to see the day that you and Tanya get married and that won't happen if you…" she stopped. I hugged her and made my silent promise that I would do anything to make her dreams of a wedding come true.

--

"Embry, I think it's better that we don't tell the others yet," Tanya suggested while we were walking back to the car. "It might cause distraction."

"I know what you mean, Tanya," I said to her. "I asked you to marry me so that I have something to look forward to when all this is over. At least the proposal is off my mind before the fight," I smiled.

"Great minds think alike," she said as I closed the passenger door. We held each other's hand while we drove back to the Cullen's. I told Edward in my head not to tell anyone about the engagement so that it would not distract anyone. It would be a bit harder to hide it from the pack, but since I didn't have to phase until we were close to the fight, I didn't want to think about it just yet. Right now, I just wanted to focus on Tanya.

When we got to the house, everyone was quiet. The TV was on, the video console was plugged in, but nobody was playing. The magazines were opened, but nobody was reading. They were just sitting around the living room and kitchen. They looked up when Tanya and I entered, but then went back to staring at a blank space. Edward nodded to me as an acknowledgement of my request not to say a word.

"We're heading out to relieve the pack," Jasper announced. Garrett and Emmett got up and followed him. Before they reached the door, we heard the pack howl. We looked at each other and I ran outside to phase. Edward followed me while the others were inside the house waiting. I phased with no care about my clothes. We had stash here and there and with what we were about to face, the last thing we wanted to worry about was to change out of our shorts.

"_I picked up a scent when we pushed the boundary_, Collin said. I was not happy that they pushed the distance of the patrol, but at least we got a warning from their move.

"They're here," Edward announced to the others. Everyone got up and ran outside. We were about to form our groups before going forward to the clearing when we heard Renesmee scream, "JACOB!" It was then that we realized she wasn't with us in the living room and our enemies were closer than we thought.


	46. Fight and Burn

A/N: Look at that, more than 250+ reviews! Yay! For those who read Life Goes On as well, I know the ending of the last chapter was a bit confusing but as soon as I pick up on that story, the events in Embry Imprinted will make sense. Fight coming up!

**Disclaimer: **

**Characters based on Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. **

(Embry POV)

I didn't have time to react on Nessie's voice. I heard the pack shuffling and they all ran toward the clearing. I looked at Tanya; we both know I needed to be with them

"Go, I'll be there soon," she said as she ran her hand over my nozzle. I kicked the dirt and ran to the clearing. Everyone was there; Leah followed a minute or two after. We didn't have time to talk to her since she was not in our pack, we couldn't hear her thoughts.

_They're taking their time to move, but the scent is getting stronger,_ Paul said. _We went to the site as soon as Collin picked up the scent._

_I'm getting a bit worried. If they are planning to annihilate us, why are they taking their sweet time?_ Jared asked.

_Maybe because they are expecting us to just fall and surrender,_ I answered. _What else can you tell about them?_

_Nothing, so far. We couldn't see them. They seemed to be pretty far, about ten miles or so,_ Quil answered. Thanks to Jasper's training, not only the pack got stronger physically, we became more conscious about our surrounding, strengthening our senses of hearing and smell.

_Stay with the group. The others will be here soon,_ I said and before I finished my sentence, Tanya's family arrived with Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie, Alice, and Esme. Edward, Bella and Carlisle arrived soon after while they were assisting Nessie.

"She's fine. One of the guards got into her mind," Tanya explained the Nessie situation.

_Stay close, guys, we don't know what we're facing_, I instructed the pack. As we have discussed, the positions ourselves around each other. Carlisle stood beside Edward, Nessie and Bella. I stood beside Bella with my group and Leah's group. Facing the back was Jared and Paul's team, while on the other side was Quil and Seth's. Leah and Seth need to be as close to Bella as possible; Bella would need to protect both of them since Jacob wasn't here. We formed the four sided formation as we planned to cover all areas of attack. _Listen carefully to my thoughts; I'm sure Nessie will be projecting multiple things at the same time. Stay alert, this is it. _The pack nodded in agreement and slowly, Caius and his guards slowly appeared.

The pack growled at the group coming towards us. Carlisle was smart to stop them by calling out Caius before they got any closer. I looked at each one of them intently. Felix was standing behind Caius and I fought the urge to leave the formation and jump him.

_Why not?_ Paul asked. I could feel his temper rising.

_Because we are going to fight as a team. Stay in position_, I said.

I could feel Caius' eyes on everyone and it was making the others very agitated. One by one, he introduced his company. Alec, Felix, Heidi and Chelsea were the ones some of us met before. The others were Katara, who could sense groups or the lack thereof of company, Mirah, who could create the illusion of fear, Ludwig could produce noise in one's mind and Portia can decapitate sight. The three at the back were called Xander, Benjamin and Yule, who were supposed to be faster than Edward.

_Good thing we have Bella_, Quil said. _We're no match for these leeches if we have to stand by ourselves._

_We will thank them later. For now, pay close attention, stay with your group and don't do anything stupid_, I instructed everyone and I myself listened to Nessie's thoughts.

"Why are you here, Caius?" Carlisle asked.

"I am here to destroy our enemies. Why are you gathered with these mongrels?" Caius answered.

We all growled at his words. Brady took a step forward, but I stopped him before taking another one, _Get back in line, Brady. We will do this altogether. Don't get ahead of yourself._

_We should not let them talk about us like that,_ he argued.

_Stay back, Brady, or I swear I will knock you down,_ Quil warned.

"They are not enemies of our kind, Caius," Eleazar argued to Caius. He once explained to us Caius' story against the werewolves. "Werewolves are enemies of your own, but you know well that our friends are not werewolves. They are shape-shifters; they control themselves, unlike the werewolves you hunt under the full moon."

"Friends?" Caius mocked Eleazar's words.

This caused another shift in movement of the pack. _I will not say this again, stay in position. Fight the urge to jump at your own will,_ I instructed them when Raleigh and Tom took a step forward. _If you cannot control yourselves, what's the difference between us and the werewolves that Caius was talking about? We are not of the same kind. Prove that to him._ The pack whimpered at my words. Finally, the younger members of the pack understood every bit of my instruction.

Caius' attention was now directed to Tanya. I stepped closer to her and she laid her hand on my head. "Tanya, how could you do this? How could you have a relationship with this creature? Have you not learned anything from your mother's mistake?" Caius' words made my blood boil, but I did not dare to move. I instructed the others to stay put, I was determined to do the same.

"My mom's mistake has nothing to do with this, Caius. I am not afraid of you," Tanya snarled. I never felt more proud to be the man, or wolf, by her side. She would stand up for me as I did for her in my tribe.

"I will destroy these creatures and anyone who intervene. I suggest that you let me do what I came here to do. I will stop at nothing," Caius' voice was full of anger. Tanya moved closer to me, never taking her hand off my head.

_Xander, Benjamin, Yule and Katara left the group. Yule and Katara are at the back; the other two on each side,_ Nessie said through her thoughts.

_This is it, stay close. Kyle, Bruce, Leah and Seth can't hear you so you have to make sure that you communicated with your eyes. Stay together. Katara will use her power as soon as you get separated from the group_, I instructed everyone.

_Mom might lose some of you. Keep your minds blocked and remember it's all an illusion_, Nessie warned.

_This is going to be harder for all of us because we are all connected, _Quil said,_ but try to focus on Embry and Embry only. Our Alpha will not let us down._ His admiration for my determination as the Alpha made me feel more confident in leading the pack. There was nothing that Caius would put in front of us that we could not fight off as a team.

Through the eyes of my pack, I saw Xander charging at Quil and Seth's teams, while Benjamin charged toward me and Leah's group. We had four vampires in our group, Garrett, Alice, Tanya and Carmen, so it wouldn't be hard to take Benjamin down at all. What came to a surprise was that only Yule charged towards Jared and Paul's team.

_Where's Katara? _I asked. No one could find her and it worried all of us. _Re-group,_ I instructed. _Collin, let's keep an eye out for Katara, everyone else, stay with you group._ Collin and I ran around the formation, just behind everyone else. We wanted to make sure that we could still keep an eye out for Katara while we were still shielded by our defense formation.

Benjamin tried to jump on the shape-shifters when he attacked, but his speed was not enough. Everyone saw his move, and even though Leah was not included in our mind communication, she knew exactly where to move. In one swift motion, Benjamin landed on the ground and before he can turn to get up, Harry, Bruce and Leah were on him and bit him to pieces. Garrett and Alice helped the pack while Carmen started the fire.

Xander's mistake was that he jumped forward towards Emmett who was the strongest in the group. As soon as he jumped, Emmett extended his arm and it went directly to his neck and choked him with one hand. Emmett slammed Xander's body down on the group; Esme and Eleazar pulled his arms off while the pack pulled on his legs and torso. In no time, Xander's body was ripped into pieces and put on the fire with Benjamin.

Yule was the easiest to take down. The pack and Rose didn't even need to make any move; as soon as Yule ran towards them, Jasper managed to take him down by himself and as soon as he let go, Kate shocked Yule and it caused so much pain for him to even move. While he was still writhing in pain, Kate let go and the pack quickly dismembered him and put the pieces to the fire.

_Still no Katara?_ Paul asked.

_No,_ I answered. As soon as we burned the bodies of the vampire, the others looked around for the missing vampire, but none of us could point her out. I focused closely to Nessie and let the others continue their search for Katara's next move.

_Felix is getting ready. They are going to attack the front, _Nessie said. As soon as the words left her mind, Kate and Garrett moved towards the front. It was our next defense. Paul and Leah's group would still have a vampire with them even if the couple left their group. We moved in closer to each other. Nessie gave extra instruction, but I was distracted by Harry's hissing.

_Damn it, Ethan!_ Harry said in his mind. Having a hard-headed brother was not easy for Harry. Ethan had been pushing and pushing himself to fight along with us, but he was too young. Although Seth fought at an early age, he was much bigger than Ethan. Ethan was the smallest in the group and since they were the only two siblings, we wanted to make sure that whatever shall happen tonight, their parents will still have a son left. Although Leah and Seth was all Sue had left, she understood the importance of their duties since she was one of the Elders. Harry and Ethan, on the other hand, were different.

_Don't hate me. It wasn't my idea,_ Ethan defended himself as he huffed and ran towards the clearing. He thought back of his conversation earlier that day. He was in Sam's house and there was a third person. We told Sam and the Elders the fight plan and the moves that we would execute when it comes down to a fight. The Cullens wanted to assure the Elders that they would protect the pack from our enemies and we swore the same allegiance to them. We did not include Ethan in the discussion because we knew he would try to interfere with the plan when he found out. What I didn't understand from the memory that Ethan played was why Sam told Ethan the plan. We told them that it was better for Ethan to stay behind and they all agreed before. As soon as that question entered my mind, Ethan fast-forwarded the memory he was playing and I saw the third person with them. To say I was shocked to see who it is was an understatement.

_What the hell is he doing here?_ the pack asked all at the same time. Before any of us could form a coherent thought, Katara came into view from the back, but before she could take another step, she fell forward with force because of the weight that pushed her over. Without any hesitation, Jasper and Rosalie pulled Katara's body apart and put the pieces with the other three to burn. All of us looked at the cause of Katara's fall.

There were so many other things I wanted to know from Ethan and his company, but all the questions came to a halt when a high-pitched voice came out of nowhere, "Enough of this, Caius."


	47. Bliss

A/N: I'm sorry it took a long time before I posted the next chapter but I needed to have the two stories tied up, but I think this should be the last play-by-play chapter. After this, it would be separated again so thank you so much for bearing with me this whole time. I don't know how many more chapters are coming before this story is over, but it will be soon. Thank you for sticking with me.

**Disclaimer: **

**Characters based on Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. **

(Embry POV)

When I heard her voice, I knew this fight was too easy. In less than two minutes, we managed to burn three vampires and none of us got hurt, but with the intent look Jane gave us, especially Nessie, I knew her presence could add a threat to us.

_This is bad. This is really bad,_ Brady said.

_Relax, Brady. You're freaking everyone out,_ Daniel reacted. He wasn't there when we fought the newborns. The battle then was nothing like the battle that we have now. Victoria had a lot of vampires with her, all newborns, who were just practically programmed to attack and feed using brute strength. None of them have any special gift like the vampires we were facing now. The Volturi, however, did not have the extra strength that the newborns had, which could have been useful to tear our group down.

The memory that I brought back made the others cringe. _Sorry,_ I apologized.

_I guess Caius ain't that smart. If I were him, I would have turned some newborns to be my little pets and bring them here,_ Paul said.

_His stupidity is to our advantage,_ Jared said.

_Let us move same steps at the same time. Just one step at a time. They are looking at each other so take time backing up a bit,_ Nessie instructed. Slowly, everyone stepped back so that our movement wouldn't be noticed while the Volturi argued amongst each other.

"Jane, what a pleasant surprise. What brings you here?" Caius asked. "I didn't expect Aro to spare you."

"Aro told me of your plans on destroying these creatures," Jane said.

The pack growled. _This little lady is really asking for it,_ Paul snarled.

_We should jump that girl, _Raleigh suggested.

_Stand back, everyone. We don't want to do something hasty_, I warned the pack.

The little vampire named Jane continued, "He told me to make sure that your promise to take Alice, Edward, Bella and their daughter, whatever her name is, will be done at to no expense. But with the looks of it, you already lost four of the guards. Aro will not be pleased."

Caius was getting furious with Jane. "I don't care what Aro thinks about this mission. If he cared so much to capture his little pets, he should have spared more vampires with you to join me. I don't think Demetri, Afton, Corin and Santiago would be enough help."

The Volturi guards continued to argue as we observed the others. _No one's moving at all. I think they are just waiting for this discussion to be over before they attack or leave_, Tom said.

_With the way they are arguing, this seems to be to our benefit_, Bruce said. Caius wanted to finish what he started, but the other Volturi leaders, Aro and Marcus, based on what Jane said, thought otherwise. Aro just wanted to get Bella, Edward, Nessie and Alice, but that wasn't going to happen. Our group was big and strong to be penetrated easily. If their intention was to take prisoners, they would need more vampires. In the end, the guards with Caius sided with Jane, except for Felix and Inez.

_Bring it on, Felix_, Quil grunted.

_Easy there, Quil. Don't jump on him unless he attacks. We don't want to start another fight if we could avoid it,_ I said. The day that my mom was bitten by the other vampire when Felix came to La Push was still fresh from our memories and we all wanted to jump and tear Felix apart.

_Wouldn't it be better if we just get rid of all of them now?_ Kyle asked and I shook my head in disagreement.

_This is not just our fight. The Cullens and the Denalis are risking their lives for us, too,_ I reminded everyone. I didn't want any harm to happen not only to the pack, but to everyone standing with us, especially to Tanya.

Jane turned to the guards, "Let's go." Without a word, the guards followed Jane.

Caius looked torn. He didn't want to leave; he wanted to go on with his mission, to destroy us but he knew the fight was over. He was defeated. "This is not over and the two of you," he pointed to Eleazar and Carlisle, which made me put a step forward, "shall find no alliance with the Volturi. Mark my words."

"I have given up on the Volturi a long time ago, Caius. I have no plans on going back," Eleazar replied.

"Be ready at all time, I will be back for you," Caius threatened.

"And we will be here waiting," Emmett replied.

_I'm with Emmett,_ Paul said.

_And next time, you're not leaving me behind,_ Ethan said.

_Stay quiet; we're not done with you yet,_ I said and Ethan shut his trap.

"They're gone. They are not coming back, at least not any time soon," Edward announced. The pack howled.

_That's what I'm talking about_, Bruce said excitedly.

_We got them running back to Volterra,_ Jared said.

With all the celebration, we didn't notice that Nessie went unconscious. Ethan's companion rushed to her right away and caught her before she fell on the ground. Edward looked at him with piercing eyes. _Edward,_ I called out to him in his mind_; let's hear what Ethan had to say first._

--

_Ethan's memory brought us back to his house. There was a knock on the door and he was surprised to see who was standing in front of him, looking weary and tired. "You're Ethan, right?" he asked._

"_Yeah. Wait, you're Jacob! I've heard many things about you," Ethan said excitedly when he finally met the other Quileute Alpha._

"_I need your help. I need to know where they are gathered and what's plan," Jacob asked. I told Jacob that we won't be taking Ethan with us, but he didn't know that Ethan was not part of the planning either._

"_I don't know, Jacob. They left me out on everything. But I'm sure Sam…," Ethan did not get to finish what he was about to say because Jake turned around and ran for Sam's house. Ethan called out, "Hey, wait for me." _

_When they got to Sam's house, Sam didn't look surprised. "I was wondering when you'll show up," Sam said. Jacob did not say a word. Sam sat down across Ethan and told him the groups, the formation and the time frame when the Volturi would come based on Alice's vision. He told him that the best place to appear would be from the back because the formation would be facing the Volturi and they shouldn't be coming from the vampire side. "Take care out there. They won't be expecting you," Sam said to Ethan before the turned to Jacob. "Your pack is anxiously waiting for you."_

_As soon as they got out, Jacob jumped and phased. Ethan quickly followed suit and had a hard time catching up to Jacob but he managed. When they were close by, Katara was straight to their view and she was too preoccupied to notice their arrival. Before she could move, Jacob and Ethan jumped on her._

--

At this revelation, Edward's face did not ease up. It was only Bella who seemed to manage to talk to him. Esme carried Nessie. "I'll take her to the cottage. You talk it over," she said and walked off.

"I'll go with you," Carmen volunteered.

"Let's head to the house so the pack could change and talk," Carlisle suggested. The vampires and shape-shifters ran side-by-side, with Jacob's pack leading the La Push pack, both his and mine.

_Let's change,_ I instructed everyone and Edward told the others while we headed to the trees to put on the clothes we had stashed all around the forest. As soon as I finished, I ran out to meet Tanya. We wrapped our arms around each other. "We're okay; we did it," I told her as I kissed her head.

She nodded on my chest, "Yes, we did. Although I think there's another fight we'll need to fix." We both looked at Edward as he waited for Jacob and his pack to appear. With her hand in mine, we walked together inside the house.

"Thank you all for fighting alongside with us," I told everyone gathered inside the house. "Tanya and I wouldn't stand a chance without all of you."

"You talk as if you're not soon-to-be-family," Kate said. "I just didn't say anything, but I saw that ring Tanya's wearing after that little trip you took." Everyone gathered around Tanya to look at her ring, but the peace was quickly over when we heard Edward's voice.

"Since when did you know he's here?" he asked, I assumed to both Seth and Leah.

"Just today when he phased," Leah answered.

"They didn't know I came, Edward. I thought I could stay behind but I couldn't," Jacob said.

"Why don't we all head inside?" Bella suggested and we watched them walk inside the house. Everyone was silent, as if waiting for more drama to unfold.

"We should head back and inform the Elders of the outcome," I said as I stood up. This was a discussion between Jacob and his imprint's family; the pack, my pack, had no business being here.

"Can I come with?" Tanya asked and tapped on her ring. She wanted to talk to Lana, of course, so I took her hand walked out with her. Everyone dispersed to the forest. I went to the car with Tanya and we drove while the others ran freely in wolf form.

--

"Everyone's safe," I announced to the Elders when we were all gathered in Old Quil's house. The relief on Sue and Billy's faces was priceless. "Jacob's pack is still at the Cullens, discussing 'imprint' business. Edward's not happy with Jacob right now."

"He was never happy with Jacob, ever," Paul joked. Jared, Quil, Sam and I couldn't help but join Paul. We knew Edward and Jacob's history, and Jacob imprinting on Edward's daughter added fuel to the big fire. I felt bad for my best friend and even though I knew that I should be by his side while Edward grilled him, I preferred to be as far away as possible from the drama.

"I'm sure they will work it out," Sue said. "We're just glad that you're all okay." She turned to Tanya, "And they couldn't have done it without your family and the Cullens. Please extend our gratitude to them."

"About that engagement," Quil said and the Elders looked at me and Tanya.

"Congratulations!" Old Quil greeted with everyone.

"You're going to have two best men, right?" Quil continued.

"Yeah, sure, if that's okay with Tanya," I answered and she nodded in agreement.

"I'm having two matrons of honor, anyway," she said then she looked at Sam, "I'll need to talk to Emily about that." Tanya and Emily grew closer together since they were holding the secrets of both the vampires and the werewolves.

"I think it's time that all of us get some rest," I said and right on cue, the pack yawned simultaneously. "Sam, we're picking up my mom if she's still awake," I said to him.

Mom was sitting by the window when we arrived at Sam's house. She had a big smile on her face. "She said yes, didn't she?" she exclaimed as she got out of the door. Tanya nodded and Mom ran and hugged her, "I'm going to have a daughter!"

"Shhh, Mom," I hushed her. "It's already late and Salia's sleeping already. "Why don't we talk about this tomorrow? Let's go home," I said and Mom got teary eyed. It's been a few days since the last time she slept on her own bed and it must be such a relief to finally go back home. She got in the backseat and we were silent on our way home. I kissed my mom good night. I intended to stay home for the night so Tanya decided not to leave our house. I lay on the sofa with my head on Tanya's lap. She had one hand running on my hair while the other was clasped with mine. I was in the arms of the woman of the woman I loved. She whispered 'I Love You' and kissed me on the lips before sleep consumed my body. This was my heaven.

--

A/N: Tanya's engagement ring is in my profile.


	48. Dream

A/N: Before I start, I want to apologize for the long wait (a whole month). As much as I wanted to write, I just had so many things I had to take care of in my personal life that my fan fiction life was put on the backburner. But, fear not, I am still alive and kicking and here to grant you another chapter.

In that note, thank you so much for the reviews. We are approaching 300 reviews and I can't wait to reach that milestone for my story that really just started as a spin-off. I did not expect for this story to have so much followers, so thanks to all.

**Disclaimer: **

**Characters based on Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. **

(Tanya POV)

Relief. That's what I felt as the Volturi guards followed Jane towards the forest. The weight that had been pulling me down ever since we heard the news of their arrival was finally lifted. To say that I was worried was an understatement when Alice told us that the Volturi was coming to destroy Embry's kind.

Embry. He had been the one who occupied my thoughts ever since I met him a couple of years ago. We went through a lot together; good and bad, happy and sad. Tonight was the testament of our strong bond as we stood in front of Caius to defend what we have shared. Love. He taught me how to open my heart, and against all odds, we were still together. We were living proof that love did conquer all, even the Volturi. I had to smile on that thought; no coven ever dared to stand against the Volturi, and yet our covens, the Cullens and Denalis, did it. Twice.

I looked down on my lap and watched Embry as he slept. From the very first time he fell asleep beside me by the clearing, I couldn't help but wonder what good thing I did in this life to deserve such love and affection from him. Maybe he was my reward for giving up on human blood decades ago. I always smiled every time I watched him sleep. He had the most peaceful face and at times, though I never told him, I would lightly brush my lips to his.

I ran my fingers on his long hair and caressed his face. His face lit up a bit and he smiled; I thought I woke him up, but he didn't open his eyes. He must have been dreaming. I couldn't help but wonder what he was dreaming about. I couldn't remember the last thing I dreamt about when I was still human. A part of me was sad that I couldn't sleep because I was missing on the dreams that I could be having, but the other part of me was glad because times like this, I could watch Embry sleep. There were times when he smiled in his sleep and I wanted to wake him up and ask him what he was dreaming about. I ran my fingers through his hair again and the light hit the ring I was wearing, which made me look at it.

I held up my left hand and looked at the ring closely. This was the most special thing I ever received. It was a treasure passed on from Lana's family and it made me a part of this family even more that I already was. Embry asked me to marry him; the thought was still unbelievable, yet with this ring, it made it very real.

I rested one hand on Embry's chest, while the other ran on his hair again. I tilted my head back and closed my eyes. I thought back when Kate got married. She was glowing as she descended from the stairs. She was a beautiful bride. I took a chance that day to steal a look at Garrett; I wanted to see what his reaction was seeing his beautiful bride coming down the stairs. My heart soared when I saw the loving look in his eyes. My sister deserved this happiness and Garrett was one lucky man. I envied what they had for I thought I would never find my own. Kate was right when she told me that I would find someone meant to for me; I just needed to wait a bit longer than everyone else. Now that I found my half, I couldn't wait to see myself walking down the isle. I was no longer alone; I finally belonged to someone who asked me to be with him for the rest of our lives and I couldn't wait for that life to start.

"If I didn't know better, I would think that you're actually sleeping," Embry whispered. I looked down at him; he was looking straight at me with so much adoration that I couldn't help myself but kiss him.

"Hi," I said to him.

"I'll never get tired of waking up with you by my side," he smiled. "How long was I out?"

I looked at the clock hanging by the corridor. "Just a little over an hour. Sleep some more; you must be tired," I said and continued running my fingers through his hair. He took my hand and kissed it.

"I was dreaming about you," he said.

"Really?" I asked and my heart was overjoyed because he was smiling earlier in his sleep. "Is it a good dream?"

"The best," he said and played with the ring that he gave me. "Tanya," he started and I just looked at him, willed him to continue. "I want us to get married before the Cullens go back to Hanover." My jaw dropped; he took it as a bad sign. "I'm sorry if it's too soon," he said as he got up. He knelt in front of me and placed his hands on my knees. "It's just an idea; I didn't want to rush you."

I smiled at the last words he said. "Embry, I'm decades older than you and we've been together for more than two years, you're not rushing me. I just can't believe that you actually wanted to marry me."

"I did propose to you, didn't I?" he chuckled. He took my hands and held it close to his heart, "I really don't care if we get married in a few days or after a few decades, it's not like any of us will get older. I just want to marry you as soon as possible, just in case Caius decided to go back sooner than expected, at least I would die a married man."

"I guess that's a good point. I've never been married and I'm decades old. I don't want to die an old maid, a _very_ old maid," I joked and we laughed lightly, not wanting to wake up Lana.

"So, we're going to do it?" he asked and I nodded in agreement. He got up and kissed me on the lips before wrapping his arms around me as he pulled me to his lap. "The only problem is the wedding planning. I wonder if Mom's going to be okay with the last minute planning. I hope she's not going to throw a fit about the timing."

"Embry, you're forgetting something," I said to him and he looked puzzled. "Alice is here, the ultimate party planner. She'll pretend at first that she's not happy being rushed, but she'll get the job done."

"We should tell her right away," he said as he got up with me in his arms and headed to the door.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"To the Cullens," he answered. "We should start planning as soon as we can."

"I think it's best we tell Lana the plan first. I don't want her to be left out. She is your mother after all."

"Spoken like a true daughter," he said as he walked back to the couch. "Since we're going to wait, I'll dream some more." He put me down the couch; he put his head on my lap and fell asleep in no time.

--

After a few hours, I heard shuffling from Lana's bedroom. She was up. I quickly grabbed the pillow beside me and propped my head so that I would look like I was sleeping. Embry's head was still on my lap so I leaned my head back to the wall and closed my eyes. I heard the door opened and closed. I tried to listen closely if she headed to the bathroom or to the kitchen. I didn't expect her to be where she was.

"I know you're awake. I want to talk to you," she whispered as she tapped on my shoulder. She knew something; how else would she know that I was awake. Whatever that was, I was set to find out. I slowly lifted Embry's head from my lap as I got up. I put the pillow under his head before I stepped outside to sit with Lana.

"Good morning," I greeted her with a smile. I was nervous and my insides were turning crazy. She was looking at me intently, yet she had a genuine smile in her face. She patted the seat beside her and we settled at the front porch. She did not say a word; she took my left hand and traced the ring on my finger. "Thank you for the ring."

"I would not have it any other way. I've always wanted a daughter and you made that possible. I also wanted to have grandchildren," she looked at me, "but I guess that's something I'll have to let go." My mouth hung open. No words came out. I wanted to react; I wanted to ask what made her say those words. What else did she know about me? She lifted her hand and pushed my chin up, "Close your mouth, dear; you don't want any fly in there." I was still too lost for words to come up with anything to say. "Tanya, are you okay?"

"Uh, yeah, uhm, I think so," I incoherently responded.

Lana gently patted my hands, "I know more than you think." I looked at her bewildered. She continued, "It's not hard to put the puzzle together, you know. After finding out my son's a werewolf, I became more aware of the things around me. It did not escape my mind how you saved me that time when I was attacked. Thanks for that again." She patted my hands again before she continued, "I was stunned with what you did, but after having sleepless nights while I stayed at Sam's, I got to thinking and I remembered the legends of the Quileute tribe. The first werewolf appeared when a new 'species' came and we both know what I'm referring to." My eyes but fell out of their sockets. Lana knew; she knew all along.

"How did you…?" I started to ask; she cut me off.

"How did I figure it out?" she asked and I nodded. "I never thought that you were any different than anyone else aside from your striking beauty, pale and cold skin. It wasn't until that day that I was attacked that I started having suspicions." She looked at her leg where the teeth mark was still visible. "I couldn't move when I saw him by the door; it was like I was stunned to stay put. It was when he bit me that I became aware of my surrounding; I heard snarls outside, I knew there was a fight going on. I looked at him intently despite the burning that was seeping through my body. I thought that if I were to survive that attack, I wanted to have enough details to give the authorities of what my attacker looked like. That was when I noticed his pale and cold skin. The bite was burning, yet his lips were ice cold. The only thing that threw me off when I was thinking about it was that he has blood-shot red eyes; yours are butterscotch." She gently rubbed her bite mark before she continued. "Legends say that werewolves and vampires are mortal enemies so I didn't believe my first suspicion that you're a vampire because, well, you and Embry are so in love with each other," she smiled at me and I smiled back at her. She was right; I was madly in love with her son. "I dismissed my suspicion; I told myself that it was a stupid thing to even think about. I was worried about you when Embry started having late nights again. I knew something was up, but then I started seeing less and less of you while the other girls were still gathering at Emily's. I couldn't sleep at night thinking about Embry's absence, then yours, and you then it clicked. You were one of their kind, different, but vampire nonetheless."

I looked at her; she didn't flinch at all. "Lana, are you…are you afraid of me?" I had to ask.

She shook her head and smiled, "No, my dear. You are nothing like that monster that bit me. Yes, you're a vampire, but you saved my life when he tried to kill me."

"How could you take this so easily?"

"In case you forgot, my son is a werewolf. After getting over that shock, nothing pretty much can scare me," she replied.

I deeply inhaled though I didn't need to. It became a reflex whenever I felt relieved, but that did not last long. I turned to her and held her hand, "Lana, who else knows about this?" I was worried about her safety because our secrets should remain with our kind, well now, it also included the shape-shifters, but all of those were because of the legends.

"Just me. I don't think anybody would believe me anyway if I tell a soul. Besides, it is not my secret to tell. Everything that was said between us will remain our own little secret, not even Embry will hear about it."

"Thank you, Lana, for everything. For the trust, for the secrecy, for the ring, and for still welcoming me despite knowing the truth," I smiled at her.

She startled me when she hugged me close to her, "You're going to be my daughter soon, no need to thank your own mother." If I could cry, I would have tears falling from my eyes. Not only do I belong to two families, my own and the Cullens, I now belonged to the Call's; nothing can top this moment. It was a dream come true.

"So, tell me everything about yourself," she asked and I did.


	49. Preparation

A/N: Sorry for the long wait. If you read LGO, you already know my excuse. If not, well you should read LGO, lol. Real life has been taking a lot of my fanfic time so it's taking me a while to update, but I hope that you like this chapter. There might be just a couple more chapters before the epilogue. As much as I wanted to keep going, I'm afraid that even good things don't last forever.

**Disclaimer: **

**Characters based on Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. **

(Embry POV)

_Her hair was moving with the wind. She turned around to face me; she lifted her hand to move her hair away from her face. I stood there mesmerized by the beauty standing a few feet away from me. _

"_You are one lucky man," Quil said as he patted my left shoulder. Jacob patted my right shoulder in agreement._

"_I know," I said, not taking my eyes off my beautiful bride. She walked slowly alongside Eleazar. She held my eyes with hers. "Hi," I whispered to her as Eleazar handed her hand to me. She winked at me and I couldn't help but smile._

I felt something cold on my lips and opened my eyes. Tanya was kneeling on the floor as she ran her fingers over my smiling lips. "Good morning," she said.

"Hi," I said to her, just like in my dream.

"You were smiling. What were you dreaming about?" she asked.

I kissed her hand, "You. Only you."

"Lana's cooking," she said as she stood up and headed to the kitchen. "You better hurry up so that we can tell her your plans," she winked and turned around. Remembering every detail of my dream, I knew exactly how I wanted this wedding to be like.

--

"But aren't they leaving in three days?" Mom asked when we told her that I wanted us to get married before the Cullens and Jacob's pack return to Hanover.

"That's why we need to get started soon," I said.

"There's not enough time to do everything. I mean there's not a lot of people to invite since we don't have any friends and relatives outside La Push, aside from Ursula and Dee, but who can pull off a wedding like that?" Mom was hysterics. Tanya was right; I assumed it was a woman thing.

"Alice is here, Lana. She's very good in planning parties and gatherings. I'm sure their house is full of decors so there's no need to worry about that. We just wanted to let you know first before we spread the news to the others," Tanya said.

"Awww, aren't you sweet?" Mom hugged Tanya, but not me.

"Nice, Mom, be like that. Hug your future daughter but not the present son," I joked and Mom simply rolled her eyes and hugged me as well. I kissed my mom's forehead before taking Tanya's hand in mine as we head out of the house.

--

Tanya met up with Kate as I headed to the cliff to meet up with Jacob and Quil. We decided to tell the people that we cared about the most about the news before we see Alice about the wedding plans.

"I thought you getting engaged out of the whim was fast," Quil chuckled.

"Well, I figured since everyone's already here, might as well get it over with," I said and nudged Jacob. He smiled sheepishly. "You okay, Jake?"

"Don't mind me; this is a big thing for you, Embry. At least one of us is problem-free when it comes to his imprint."

"What happened?" I asked.

"Long story short, she found out that in the future, we will end up together," Jacob answered.

"Problem solved then! I'm still thinking how things will be like with Quil and Claire. That'll be awkward," I joked.

"Shut up," Quil said and threw a stone at me which I quickly ducked from. "I don't see the problem, Jake."

"She got mad because I told her before that we won't necessarily be together like every other imprint, Sam and Emily, Paul and my sister, Jared and Kim, you and Tanya," he said as he pointed to me. "Then all of a sudden, it came out that we're actually soul mates and all that. She's so pissed that I lied to her face."

"Tsk, tough luck, Jake. I can't help you with that," I honestly told him. "So far, I haven't lied to Tanya."

"But you didn't exactly tell her the whole picture about Dee, and looked what happened with that," Quil said. He got me there.

"Are you inviting Dee?" Jake asked. Even though he was far away, Quil and I always talked to him about everything that was going on with our lives. He knew exactly what drama unfolded with Dee and Tanya.

"Mom wanted to, they are the only friends we have outside La Push, and it being a big day for his only son, I'm sure she'll want to brag," I chuckled.

"What did Tanya say?" Quil asked.

"Nothing; she's been cool about Dee. I think they talked before Dee left," I answered.

"At least Tanya's not difficult," Jacob huffed. Quil and I laughed.

"Give it time, Jake. You know how it was when Tanya and I first had a fight. I ran to Alaska; don't ever forget that," I said. "It was hard and I thought of giving up, but look where I am now. I wouldn't be this happy with something special looking forward to with the woman I love if I gave up easily. You'll get there; it just might take a longer route."

--

As soon as we got to the Cullens, Alice hugged both me and Tanya. If Tanya didn't warn me about Alice already jumping up and down even before we reached the door, I probably would have fallen back with the force of Alice's excitement.

"I thought you don't see werewolves?" I joked.

"I don't, but you're not in the bridal shower," Alice answered

"When's the wedding?" Carmen asked as she wrapped her arms around Tanya.

"Before the others leave for Hanover," Kate answered for us. She waited for us to make the announcement before she went to the Cullens because she was worried that she might spill the beans before we make our own announcement.

"But that's in three days," Nessie exclaimed.

"That's why we need to get started," Alice said and grabbed Tanya away from me.

"Congratulations," the guys congratulated me as the girls rounded up with Tanya and Alice.

"You work fast," Emmett boomed. I chuckled. That was exactly what Quil thought.

I looked at Alice and made sure that she was not motioning towards the door yet. I needed to talk to her about the details of the wedding. As soon as she got up, I called her, "Alice, got a sec?" She looked surprised but joined me in a corner. "I need to tell you the exact details of the wedding."

"Tanya already told me," Alice said.

"She told you what she thought would be happening," I smiled, "but I have something else in mind." After I told Alice what I dreamt about, she looked like she was about to cry, except she just couldn't.

"That's beautiful," she whispered.

I looked at Tanya who was smiling at me, "And so is she,"

-----

(Tanya POV)

Alice, Kate and I picked up Emily from La Push before going to Seattle. Because the wedding was only three days away, Alice was zooming from stores to stores, trying to find the perfect dresses. She mentally took the sizes of the other girls so that it would be just a quick trip.

We parked the car in a parking garage and Alice walked as fast as 'humanly' possible. "Is she usually like this?" Emily asked.

"I'm afraid so. When it comes to shopping, no one can stop her," I said.

"This is worse than my wedding. She's on a roll. I wonder what Embry told her," Kate wondered.

"You noticed that, too?" I asked.

"What happened?" Emily asked.

"Before we left the house to pick you up, Embry pulled Alice aside and they were whispering. There were so many conversations going around the room that I couldn't hear what they were talking about," I answered.

"Maybe it's a surprise honeymoon," Emily nudged me and Kate laughed.

"Surprise getaway," Kate said with hand motions.

"Hurry up, you three," Alice called out. We didn't realize that we stopped walking. Giggling, we hurried our steps towards the store.

Emily had to sit down after a couple of stores. Alice made her dizzy with her going in and out of stores. Emily's human body couldn't take anymore zooming from one store to the other.

"Sit this one out, Emily. We'll call you when we're set," Alice said.

"I'll keep her company," Kate volunteered. Alice shrugged before going in another store.

"You two gonna be fine?" I asked.

"You don't have to stay with me," Emily said to Kate.

"You're my excuse for sitting this one out. I've had my share in my wedding; I know how crazy Alice can get," Kate said.

"You're supposed to be on my side," I stomped towards the store. The two just laughed.

We wasted a trip to the mall. It took more than an hour before Alice finally gave up and started driving around for the perfect store. Alice saw a boutique. She closed her eyes and smiled, "This is it. I can feel it!" Emily, Kate and I rolled our eyes. She said the same thing while we were at the mall.

--

"Uhm, Alice, not that I don't think this dress is pretty, but I was thinking of something a bit longer," I asked her. The dress I was wearing was right on my knees. "Not that I'm a traditional girl or anything, but I think this is a bit short?"

"Tanya, you're getting married to a hot guy, and I mean that temperature-wise, although he _is_ hot all over," Alice laughed. Kate and Emily whistled in agreement. "With the temperature those guys are running, I wouldn't be surprised if he goes shirtless on the wedding."

"He wouldn't!" I shrieked.

"Don't worry; I'll interfere before it gets that far," she said. She examined the dress on me, "You're right, that is a bit short, maybe something a bit below the knees." she twirled around the racks. She shifted from one rack to the other while Kate, Emily and I talked about Salia. She would be a very cute flower girl. I remembered Nessie when she was Kate's flower girl. She was adorable. "Okay," Alice announced. "I said just a bit below the knees, but I think you'll like this a lot."

"Let's try it on then," I said and stepped inside the dressing room and took off the dress I was wearing.

"Close your eyes," Alice said and she was being silly, but decided not to argue. She helped me out of the first dress and helped me put on the new one. The length of the dress was uneven. I felt the front fell about mid-calf, but the back fell just a bit short from my ankles. It was a tube-top and it felt light. I felt satin, but nothing else. "Keep your eyes closed," Alice said and opened the door. I heard Emily and Kate gasped and made me more curious as to what the dress looked like. "Okay, you can open your eyes now," Alice said after she turned me around to face the mirrors. The dress was ivory, beaded lace over satin. It perfectly hugged my body and the length accentuated my height. It was beautiful.

I turned around, "This is it. This is THE Dress," I said to Alice. The three girls got up and we hugged each other.

"You look amazing, Tanya," Emily said.

"Now we just need to find a dress for the two of you, Salia and Claire. As for the others, I'll pick theirs out when you're all done," Alice said and she glided back to the racks of dresses. I turned around and looked at my reflection again. I imagined Embry looking at me and I couldn't wait for the next days to pass.

--

Emily was worn out after the trip, but just in case someone was around the premises of their house, I called Sam to help Emily out of the car. She fell asleep before we even left Seattle. Sam helped me put the dress on Salia to make sure that it fitted perfectly and left the dress for Claire.

"You must be excited," Sam said when I bit goodbye.

"Looking forward to it," I said with a smile. I bore that smile on my face all the way home.

--

A/N: Dress in my profile.


	50. Parties and Bonfire

A/N: I know, I know, it's been forever since I last updated. But instead of boring you with blah blah, let's just get on with the story, okay?

**Disclaimer: **

**Characters based on Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. **

(Tanya POV)

When we got back to Forks, the Cullen's house looked the same from the outside, but as soon as we stepped inside, the place was transformed from a home to a party destination. "Isn't this a little overboard for a wedding?" I asked.

"Wedding?" Rosalie laughed. "This is not for the wedding; this is for your bachelorette party!"

"If this is just for the party, I can't imagine what you have up your sleeves to top this for the wedding, Alice," I challenged her.

Alice just smirked at me, "You will be surprised." And with that, she turned and brought all the dresses upstairs. I looked at her sisters for answers but both Rosalie and Bella shrugged, totally clueless of what Alice meant.

"Where are the guys?" Kate asked. I didn't notice that none of them were here when we got back. I suddenly missed Embry's welcoming hug.

"Male-bonding of some sort," Bella answered.

"Figures," Kate shrugged.

"Tanya, you better start calling the girls from La Push for tomorrow's party. And don't worry, Embry talked to Sam about it; the Elders are okay with the girls being here without any of them," Alice said as she went down the stairs.

"And you know this how?" I asked. Alice couldn't see werewolves in her visions so it was a surprise for me that she already knew that the Elders allowed humans, no, the imprints, to attend a bachelorette party with vampires.

"Embry just called and said it's a go," she answered as she waved her cell phone.

"My fiancé called you but didn't even contact me during the time we're away?" I tried to make it sound like a joke but deep inside, I felt jealous that Embry contacted Alice first.

Before I could compose myself, a familiar scent hit my nose and warm arms wrapped around my waist. "You're fiancé prefers to hear your voice in person with his arms around you rather than over the phone," Embry said as he planted a kiss on my neck.

"Nice save!" Emmett boomed with laughter.

"What have you been up to?" I asked. "You smell like salt water." My eyes went wide, "Did you go cliff diving?" I asked with an escalated voice.

"No, I didn't."

"You better not be lying to me."

"We didn't go cliff diving, Tanya," Jasper confirmed and a wave of relief washed through me. I knew it wasn't from Jasper's confirmation, but because of his gift.

"We've never been to First Beach and the guys were nice enough to let us see the place openly," Garrett explained.

Because of the old pact that the Cullens and the La Push tribe had, the Cullens were not allowed to set in foot on First Beach. I knew that the Cullens were true to their promise so it was nice to know that they were able to set foot on First Beach. "Okay, I believe you," I said and planted a quick kiss on his lips.

"Isn't this a bit overboard?" Edward asked as he made his way to Bella and Nessie.

"You're such a guy," Alice rolled her eyes on him.

"And here's the proof," Edward patted Nessie's head.

Nessie's eyes widened and she shrieked, "Ewww, Dad!" She walked out as the rest of us laughed.

"It's amazing how Alice can pull off a wedding with just a couple of days notice," I said to Embry while we walked towards his house. I wanted to invite Lana to the bachelorette party in person rather than on the phone. "What do you think she'll say?" I asked.

"I think my mom is more excited than both of us combined. She's been giving me the look since I introduced you to her. I think she wants me to have something that she didn't," Embry said with a little sadness in his voice.

"And what is that?"

"A wedding, a spouse to spend the lifetime with," Embry answered. I squeezed his hand and he squeezed back. Moments like this were the one I treasured the most. The reminder of us spending a life together and the simple touch of love were the greatest things in my life now. "Mom, we're here," Embry called out before we even reached the front porch.

Lana popped her head through the kitchen window, "Oh, there's my daughter-in-law," she giggled and met us at the front door.

"Mom, we're not married yet, so she's not your daughter-in-law yet," Embry laughed.

"If you dare change your mind, I will disown you and take Tanya as my daughter," Lana said in a serious voice and after a brief silence, we all laughed together. "I thought you're preparing for the wedding," Lana asked.

"Alice, as expected, took over everything. Tomorrow is the bachelor and bachelorette party, to be held separately. The girls will be at the Cullens and the guys will be at," I paused. Embry didn't tell me where his party was going to be.

"We're having a bonfire at the beach," Embry answered my unasked question. I simply nodded. Maybe that's why they went to First Beach earlier today so that they could prepare the stuff for his party tomorrow.

"I hope you two are not planning to see each other tomorrow. It's bad luck," Lana said and Embry and I looked at each other. After the time apart from each other when I left for Alaska, we had always spent time together. I never thought that the idea of spending a whole day apart from each other would bother me this much.

"Mom, that's so old fashion," Embry said.

"Old fashion or not, it's the way it should be. You two will spend a lifetime together, what's a day?" Lana had a point.

"I will miss you terribly, you know that, right?" Embry said with his arms wrapped around my shoulder. We decided to go to the clearing to spend our last hours together before we would be forced not to see each other for a whole day.

"I know. I will miss you, too. It kinda sucks that I won't be able to complain directly to you if, and when, Alice goes overboard. I'm a bit nervous about the wedding. She said that the decorations at the house right now is just for the bachelorette party and I think it's too much already. I can't imagine what the house will look like for the wedding."

"We'll just have to wait and see," Embry said with a smile, but something about his smile seemed a bit different. I was about to ask but I just wanted to stay in his arms like this in silence until it was time for him to go home and rest.

I was sulking. I shouldn't because my wedding was set for tomorrow but I couldn't help it. Alice and Kate barged into my house even before the sun was up and dragged me to the Cullen house. "Make-up testing," Alice squealed. I used to love our little make over sessions before but after living in Forks for some time now and hanging out with the other imprints made my perspective a little different. I knew Alice would hate it if she found out that I wasn't into too much girly stuff anymore. Embry was used to living a simple life and I learned to change to fit into his. There weren't many events going on in La Push anyway to there was no need to put on make up everyday.

When we got to the house, I couldn't help but laugh when I saw Rosalie trying to pry Bella from Edward. Alice said that she was never into these sessions and since it was only five in the morning, this was surely going to be a very long day for Bella. Nessie, on the other hand, was setting up the make-up set on top of the dining table. They moved the table to the living room and set up some mirrors. "Is this what we're going to do the whole day?" I asked.

"No, my dear sister. Since we didn't have the real bachelorette party when I got married, Alice and I agreed to give you one," Kate said with a wink. Then she added, "Don't worry, the other girls know about the setup already."

"Wai…wait…wait…," I said. "If I'm going to have a real bachelorette party, is Embry having a real bachelor's party?"

"We didn't ask," Rosalie simply answered.

I was bothered. It wasn't because I didn't trust Embry; I was just a bit bothered because I knew what goes on in a real bachelor's party. When I was living adventurously with no care whatsoever, I once volunteered to be the girl inside the box. I knew it was unfair that I had experience and Embry's a virgin, but I didn't want any other girl see what I haven't seen of Embry.

"Hey, you okay?" Alice asked. I looked at her and saw the concern in her eyes. She must have seen how this party would turn out, me sulking in one corner while the others enjoy the male dancer. "You know we're just kidding, right? Besides, Edward won't let us hire a stripper with his daughter attending the party and all." Alice said and rolled her eyes towards his brother. Edward just shook his head as Rosalie successfully pulled Bella off of him.

"We'll see you ladies later," Jasper said and gave Alice a peck on the cheek. I suddenly missed Embry.

(Embry POV)

"Are you sure she still doesn't know anything?" I asked Edward, although I knew he already knew my question a couple of minutes ago since I had been ranting in my head.

"Yes, I'm sure," Edward answered. "I think she's more worried about what we're going to do in our Bachelor's Party. And, Emmett, you can forget about hiring a stripper,"

"It was just an idea," Emmett mumbled and we all laughed at his sour face.

I looked around the beach. It looked better than I imagined. On the other side, the pack already set up the woods for the bonfire later that day. We just needed to finish up some of the preparation then we could start the story telling. It was interesting how easy it was to open up with the vampires once you set aside your differences.

"We're headed towards the north for a couple of hours," Carlisle said. They were scheduled to hunt today so that tomorrow, there would be no mishaps of any sort. "We should be back just right after you eat, so we can pick up the stories from where we left off yesterday." He shook my head and the other male vampires followed him to the woods.

Paul lit up the fire and Quil set up the meat beside it. We all looked at the fire and it was very inviting. This was going to be a very good feast. All looked very excited to eat except Jacob. He started walking towards the big rocks and I decided that my stomach could wait. There was something going on for him to look so serious with all the food that was being prepared and a big fun event tomorrow. I slowly got up on the rocks and sat beside him. I didn't say anything. We both listened to the waves silently.

"After all that happened before," Jacob slowly spoke, "did you know that Tanya would actually forgive you when you followed her in Alaska?"

His question was loaded with so much emotion; pain, suffering, confusion and hope. "I went there without expectation but I know what I needed to do. I was betting a lot on the fact that she's my imprint and our connection will never go away." I looked at him; he was staring at the waves. "Nessie will come around. Your situation might not be exactly the same as mine, but the connection will be there forever." I patted his shoulder and got up. I was glad I was able to fix the mess I made back when I hurt Tanya. I couldn't imagine a life without her and tomorrow, I would be able to spend every single moment of my lifetime calling her my wife.


	51. Vows

A/N: Sorry for giving the wrong impression that the story was over. I wouldn't do that to you! I love this story as much as you do so I plan to end it in a good note (and I would actually put THE END).

**Disclaimer: **

**Characters based on Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. **

(Tanya POV)

Panic. I was definitely panicking when I arrived at the Cullens to see that the decorations from last night were gone, replaced with nothing. Nothing! I told Alice I just wanted a simple wedding, but not "this" simple.

"Relax," Alice said with a huge smile on her face.

"How can I relax when I'm supposed to be getting married in like ten minutes and this place is empty! And where's everybody? Emily said that they're on their way and they're not here. Oh my! What if Embry changed his mind?" I was going on and on before Kate grabbed my shoulders and snapped me back to myself. "Sorry," I mumbled.

"It's alright," Kate said and turned to Alice, "are we all set?"

"Yeah, I checked with Jasper and it's all set," Alice replied. When I tried to ask her what is going on, I was already being dragged out of the house and into the car, again. "We will fix you up when we get there. We'll have two minutes to spare. Being vampires and all, we have enough time."

I was about to ask more questions, but knowing Alice, I knew she wouldn't give me a straight answer so I decided to just sit and wait. I let Alice put a blindfold on my eyes and earphones on my ears. Whatever was waiting on our destination, wherever it was, would be a surprise to me.

"What are we doing here?" I asked when we pulled over to La Push.

"Just get inside the house and get changed," a dressed up Emily greeted and ushered me inside her house. Alice and Kate followed.

Just like Alice said earlier, it took us less than two minutes to get ready. She even managed to put the make up on all the girls and they slowly piled up in the cars.

She then turned around and blindfolded me again. "Somebody please tell me what the hell is going on and where is everybody and where the hell is Embry!"

"He's waiting," Emily replied as she walked on my left side and Kate on my right.

"Now stop fighting the scarf or you'll mess up your eye shadow," Alice instructed.

Kate and Emily helped me in the car and not even five minutes later we stopped. I could smell the salty water. "Are we at the beach?" No one answered, but they didn't have to because when I stepped out of the car, I felt the sand under my feet.

Instead of asking any more questions that no one would answer, I reached behind my head and untied the blindfold. I had to blink a couple of times to make sure what I was seeing was real. It looked so perfect. There was a canopy by the shore and everyone I was looking for earlier was there. I was happy to see them all but my eyes couldn't focus on any of them as I searched for one special smile. And there it was at the front, standing between Quil and Jacob.

"You ready?" Kate asked as we slowly walked towards the make-shift altar by the beach.

"Can I have a minute with my sister?" I asked Emily. She took a few steps ahead of us. I turned to Kate, "Pinch me."

"What?" Kate asked, surprised.

"I just want to make sure that I'm not dreaming all of this."

"We don't sleep so you can't be dreaming," my sister answered with a smile. "Now, let's get a move on because there's a fine man waiting for you all his life." I squeezed her hand and met up with Emily and they escorted me to the man that I would be spending eternity with.

(Embry POV)

I looked around the beach and everything was set. I haven't slept at all but with all the excitement I was feeling, I didn't think I would be able to sleep anyway. I was so glad that everyone agreed to this idea of mine. Even though it was cheesy, as Emmett put it.

"Hey," Jacob called out.

"Got things sorted out?" I asked him. We took a little time yesterday after we ate, while we were waiting for the others to returned, to talk about his situation with Nessie.

"This day is about you and Tanya getting married, don't worry about the mess I'm in. Like you said last night, our connection will never go away, but if you mess up with this wedding, I don't think you can keep on counting on that connection because I'm pretty sure that Tanya will have your tail," he joked half-heartedly.

"I'm here for you when you need someone to talk to, you hear?"

"No, you won't," Jacob answered with a smirk on his face, "you'll be 'busy'." We both laughed at what he implied.

I have been drumming my fingers on my own arms for what felt like forever. As soon as the Alice left the Cullen's, she sent me a text message saying that they would be at the beach in less than fifteen minutes. It felt more like fifteen hours, no days, no weeks. It felt like a really long time.

When I finally saw the car approached, my breathing kept still until I saw her emerged from the car, blindfold still over her eyes. I saw that she was a bit irritated just by her facial expression, but found it turned to relief when our eyes met. From that moment I locked my eyes with her, everything around us stopped and slowly disappeared. All I saw was her, the woman I would be spending my lifetime with. I couldn't wait to call her my wife.

(Tanya POV)

_Don't trip, don't trip,_ I kept telling myself as Eleazar walked me down the aisle. Embry and I didn't break our eye contact from the time I took off the blindfold. Now that I reached the altar, I could see the adoration in his eyes, the tears that were pooling in them; the tears of happiness that reflected the happiness inside him. How I wished I could cry; I wanted Embry to see how much happiness this moment brought to my heart.

"Love knows no boundaries and no limits," Old Quil started the ceremony. "It doesn't recognize the differences of two beings," he continued, carefully choosing his words for the sake of the guests who didn't know the truth about our kind. "It binds the hearts of those who are wiling to let it in and it finds its way for those who were lost. And for that, the two have you have been brought together, in front of your families, friends and loved ones, despite all the obstacles that you faced in the past."

I was told that in a traditional ceremony, they would have mentioned about the history of shape-shifters, where the blood line would trace back to and how it would affect the future of the couple's future family. But since all of those who were concerned knew that I couldn't bear any child, that part was left out of the ceremony and we opted for a more non-traditional path; Embry and I wrote our own vows.

Embry took my hands in his and I looked at him. His eyes were full of the same adoration that they held from the moment we first met. "Tanya, I never told you, but I was scared at the beginning. What we have is out of the ordinary, and yet, for reasons unknown, it happened to us. The happiness I felt was soaring each and every moment we spend together. And now, I'm still scared. I'm still scared that one day I'll wake up just to realize that all of the precious moments that we spent together are just a wonderful dream. I'm scared that if this is not real, I won't be able to move on with whatever life will throw at me."

He lightly squeezed my hand before he continued, "Remember when you asked me if things were different, if the connection that we have wasn't there, would it be the same? Would I still be this madly in-love with you? My answer is that I don't know, but I think that's what's great about this, about us, the great unknown. All I know is that I am glad that it was you."

He lifted his hands and cupped my face in them, "And I'll gladly go through everything ten times over, including that trip to Alaska, if that means I get to spend ten lifetimes with you. I love you." He took my left hand and inserted the ring on my finger and kissed it before putting it down.

I squeezed his hands as I looked straight to his eyes, "When people around me started meeting those they are supposed to spend their lives with, I couldn't help but wonder if I'll find my own person. There were times when I felt that maybe I've done something wrong so I don't deserve happiness and contentment. But when you came along to my life, I felt that things are about to change. You brought me happiness that I thought I'll never find. You filled my heart with love and my life with joy. You made the wait worthwhile. When you came for me in Alaska, I knew that from then one, nothing will ever separate us, not even our differences. I cannot wait to spend the rest of my life with you. And if one day, you do wake up from that wonderful dream of yours, when you go back to reality, I hope that you will still take me with you. I love you." With the finals words, I took his left hand and put on his ring.

"With the vows that you have given to each other and with the guests of this occasion as witnesses, you are now bound for life," Old Quil announced. "You know what to do," he jokingly add.

Embry didn't spare any second and sealed our marriage with the sweetest kiss before uttering the words that he had been waiting to say and I had been waiting to hear, "Tanya, my wife…"

-THE END-

A/N: I'll be honest with you. I was kinda teary-eyed while writing this chapter. I hoped it touched your heart as it did mine.

Thank you for all those who read this story. I hope that you enjoyed the ride as I did enjoy writing the story. One final review please.

Epilogue to follow – in someone else's POV.

For those who follow Life Goes On, that story will be updated soon.


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